Written by Travis Chesney | 10 December 2010

The Chargers received a Christmas gift early this year…unfortunately it was a large lump of silver and black coal.

The surging Chargers looked unstoppable and the Raiders looked as if they had given up on their season a few weeks early. After 60 minutes of football, the roles had certainly reversed. Year after year of dominating the Raiders came to a sudden, shocking halt this season as for the second time, the silver and black crushed the Chargers.

Rivers was rattled, the running game went nowhere, and there seemed to be nothing the Chargers could do to stop the Raiders on either side of the ball. Outplayed in every aspect, the defense was outran, the offense stunned and the special teams again making blunder after blunder.

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Written by Travis Chesney | 30 November 2010

This is the matchup of the season. Every year, Chargers fans can’t wait for the annual shootout, while Colts fans keep their eyes shut and their fingers crossed. In recent years, the battles between the Colts and Chargers have always been unique and exciting games exhibiting the best of the NFL in one night. And sometimes...the worst.

This time, no one knew what to expect from two sides wracked with injuries, and a season filled with up and down performances. But after yet another successful opposing opening drive, everything came up Blue and Gold. The Colts’ rhythm was shattered by a Chargers defense that easily had its best game of the season.

Shaun Phillips has always joked with Peyton Manning on the field. Watching carefully, a smirk and snide joke can be caught across the enemy line. This humor between enemies has never stopped Phillips from leading the charge against the future hall of famer. Pick after pick, the pressure never stopped against Peyton and the signature frustration on Peyton’s face was evident long before the second half had even begun.

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Written by Travis Chesney | 25 November 2010

The Broncos were coming off utter demolition of the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chargers put together a top-ranked offense with backup after backup. There wasn’t an analyst, fan or player that wasn’t expecting a high-powered shootout with numbers you’d expect at a basketball game.

The Chargers defense apparently didn’t get that memo.

After taking a hard sucker-punch touchdown within the first 3 minutes, Rivers and the Chargers’ offense followed up with devastating score after score. Not until the Bolts put up 35 unanswered points did the Broncos finally put another 7 on the board.  The unstoppable force and the immovable object were on the same side of the ball Monday night with San Diego shining on both offense and defense.

With special teams gaffes, an on-again, off-again defense and a roster of players that has now passed 70 members over the course of the year, the Chargers showed a new identity of near-perfection. Everyone on the team is ready to admit they are playing well, but can show us more. With a few weeks remaining in the season, the question remains. Are the 5-5 Chargers a team of gaffes, mistakes and slip-ups costing them close wins or are they a team that can continue their 3-win streak all the way to the Super Bowl?

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Written by Travis Chesney | 10 November 2010

The San Diego Chargers were about ready to start pulling players from the crowd, running low on receivers, kickers and even left wondering if they’d have a punter by the end of the day. As of late, the roster has felt like the Keanu Reeves film, The Replacements, with unknowns filling the stars’ spots. But the holes in the Chargers’ offensive roster weren’t nearly as big as the holes in the Houston Texans’ defense.

Houston began the season as a strong playoff favorite behind the arm of QB Matt Schaub and the unbelievable balance and speed of RB Arian Foster. The season’s momentum was already shifting mid-game when the Chargers surged to take the lead and held onto it despite a last-minute attempt by the Texans.

This game goes to the third and fourth stringers, and the talent picked up on the edge by the Chargers’ office. After the bye week, VJ and others return, and we may not hear much from Gary Banks, Kris Brown or Seyi Ajirotutu, but if nothing else, they may have all earned another chance in the NFL.

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