The Chargers took Tennessee's best shot but emerged Sunday with their first playoff victory since beating Pittsburgh for the AFC Championship in January 1995, sending the normally detached head coach Norv Turner into a sideline victory jig. The 17-6 victory puts the Bolts in the second round of the NFL playoffs in one week at Indianapolis.
The Titans, a pretty good but not great team, were able to run on the Bolts defense and stymie the offense -- for a half. The good news, something that San Diego fans have really wanted to see since the beginning of the season, was an ability by the coaches and players to adjust to what was happening on the field and eventually take over the game. That happened.
Also good news: the game was put in the hands of sometimes maligned QB Philip Rivers and what had been a rather ordinary batch of wide receivers and they came through with flying colors. Rivers hit Vincent Jackson with a 25-yard TD pass to give the Bolts their first lead, and later hit Chris Chambers for 39 yards on a 3rd & 10 play that led to the final score. Earlier in the year, games placed in their hands were usually lost. The same for last year's playoff debacle with the Patriots. This time was different, which could mean a positive carryover to next week.
The bad news: the game said little about how good the Chargers really are. The Titans really dominated the first half, but just didn't have enough playmakers to capitalize on their work, instead settling for a lone field goal in each of the first two quarters.
In a crucial stretch of the second quarter, which might have kept the Chargers in the game, they recovered a Chris Brown fumble deep in their own territory and then held the Titans to 3-and-out on two straight possessions. That the Titans eventually drove for that second FG was almost insignificant, because that still left the Bolts down by less than a touchdown.
In the regular season matchup with the Colts, the Chargers won 23-21 behind an unprecedented six interceptions thrown by Peyton Manning. That won't happen again. The Colts will have had two weeks to prepare for their matchup, and they'll be ready. Not only did Manning toss all those picks, but Adam Veniteri missed two short FGs. That won't happen again, either. Plus, after the Chargers broke out to a big lead, the Colts dominated the second half of the game and appeared to be the better team.
On the other hand, the Chargers have had success against the Colts at home and in the dome, and will certainly not be intimidated by facing the defending Super Bowl champions.
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I'm one of those not overly sold on the Patriots, despite their 16-0 record. Very good team. Not unbeatable. The way Jacksonville is going right now, they would appear to have what it takes to go into Foxboro in bad weather and come out with a victory.
If that happens, and the Chargers beat the Colts, then the AFC Championship Game would be held at Qualcomm Stadium. Not probable. But not beyond the realm of imagination.
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