San Diego to the Super Bowl?

By Robert Rousseau  |   Wednesday, November 22, 2006  |  Comments( 5 )

San Diego Chargers
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Even though they suffered a Week 11 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, many seem to want to call this the Indianapolis Colts' year to finally take home a Super Bowl. Others seem to believe that the Chicago Bears are on their way. The New England Patriots are never far from championship talk, either (and rightfully so).

Of course, there are no guarantees in this league, even for elite teams (just ask the Pittsburgh Steelers). However, another club that perhaps hasn't received the same Super Bowl press as the ones already mentioned seems to have emerged as a legitimate contender:

The San Diego Chargers.

Think about it. Their quarterback - Philip Rivers - just seems to have the 'it' factor. In a short time he has his team believing that no matter what the problem, he can be a part of the solution. Just as he did in college during high-pressure situations (he was the MVP of five bowl games as an undergraduate), he has come through in the NFL. Down 28-7 at halftime to the Bengals? No problem. How about 24-7 at Denver? Doesn't phase him.

Rivers is the real deal.

Then there's LaDainian Tomlinson. Say what you will, this guy is one of the best this league has ever known. Then there's uber-talented tight end Antonio Gates, an offensive line that works well together, and a receiving corps that has played surprisingly well.

And that's just the offense.

The defense started out playing great but has since fallen off track a bit. However, a lot of the dropoff can be traced to a host of injuries and situational absences the Chargers have dealt with (such as Shawne Merriman's suspension for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy).

So, here's the question: What might the Chargers' defensive unit look like with a healthy Shaun Phillips, Igor Olshansky and Merriman?

Probably a lot like it did when the unit was surrendering a mere nine points per game through its first four contests.

Dominant.

Taken together, the Chargers have arguably the league's best offensive player in Tomlinson (don't go crazy, Colts fans, the keyword is "may") and one of the league's best defensive players in Merriman. Further, they do all the things that championship teams are supposed to.

They run the ball (Tomlinson), stop the run (ever try to run up the gut against Jamal Williams?), and put pressure on the quarterback (Phillips, Merriman, enough said).

But even better, they believe.

"I think this is a very special team because no matter what happens, no matter how much we're down, we're never out of the game," said Tomlinson.

A team that combines this much talent with confidence can be dangerous in the playoffs.

Very dangerous.


Original San Diego Chargers analysis, courtesy of RealFootball365.com
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About Robert Rousseau

Robert Rousseau is a sports writer that has been published in a variety of print and online venues. He’s been writing for RealFootball365.com for almost three years now. When Rousseau isn’t writing about college football he tends to be penning mixed martial arts pieces for MMAFighting.com or...
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