LaDainian Tomlinson is No Longer a San Diego Charger

So the moment has finally come. It shouldn't be a surprise because the clock had been ticking since 2007, but now that the moment is here it's sort of weird.

If LaDainian Tomlinson getting cut by the San Diego Chargers doesn't signify that the decade of the 00's is over I don't know what will.

For the past nine years Tomlinson has been the face of the Chargers franchise. He won the MVP for the 2006 regular season, and helped launch the careers of both Drew Brees and Philip Rivers. It's hard to argue that LaDainian Tomlinson wasn't the best halfback of the past decade.

Though it means that time has elapsed, and we're all getting older, Tomlinson's move was probably the right one for both parties. At this point in time the Chargers offensive line simply isn't good enough to support a back like Tomlinson. When the Chargers decided to go with Norv Turner in 2007 it pretty much launched an era of pass first football in San Diego, essentially kicking the player who rebuilt franchise to the curb.

But it's what the Chargers have to do. The Chargers invested so much in passing offense that the running game is there as a mere decoy for the passing attack; much like the Chargers rival Patriots and Colts offenses. Essentially the Chargers just need to add any back who can carry the ball inside the 20 and they'll be fine. In today's NFL situational backs are a dime-a-dozen and that'll be enough to suffice in San Diego.

The move is going to be tough for Tomlinson. The league has passed him by and there are probably few situations where he'd be the right fit next year. There's a chance that Tomlinson could end up back in Texas with either the Cowboys or Texans but I couldn't see him being much better there than in San Diego. Essentially, for Tomlinson to succeed he's going to have to accept being a situational back, and there is some question as to whether or not he can do that.

There is a reason that since 2006 LaDainian Tomlinson has picked up the moniker "Complainian Tomlinson." The guy is a baby. He evaporates in the big game, and is the first to open his mouth after it. Never once in his career did Tomlinson show up in the big spot, and that's what separates him from the backs like Smith, Payton, and Brown; the backs that Tomlinson will have similar stats to but never be compared to.

So as Tomlinson and the Chargers prepare to move on, this seems like it's going to be the better move for San Diego, which is a good thing for that franchise. After all, the last high profile player they let walk out the door just picked up a ring in the season that the Chargers were supposed to win one.

Report: Chargers At Strip Club Saturday Before Jets Game

Though NFL players being idiots isn't exactly new news, it's always fun to mention players doing dumb things before big games.

You have probably heard by now about Vincent Jackson's second consecutive playoff time traffic-related arrest, but today XX1090 in San Diego was treated to a pretty unique call.

The manager of a well known strip club in the San Diego area named "Pure Platinum" called in this afternoon around 1:00 PM Pacific time to alert host Darren Smith that at least eight Chargers were at his strip club into the early hours of the morning less that 36 hours before the game with the Jets on Sunday.

Though this isn't the worst crime in the world (it's not like they were there the night before the game) it still goes to show the discipline of this Chargers team and proves why they're not ready to be champions yet. This news, mixed with the Jackson news, Cromartie's bottle breaking incident, and the whole Merriman-Tila Tequila thing just makes the San Diego Chargers look like the complete opposite of the Indianapolis Colts or the Pittsburgh Steelers. Throw in Philip Rivers' "school-kid-complaining-because-his-team-is-losing" demeanor, and Tomlinson's music video and the San Diego Chargers look like the team in the NFL that needs Tom Coughlin (circa 2005) to coach them the most.

To be fair to the Chargers, had Nate Kaeding hit a few field goals, this probably wouldn't be a story. Still, the Chargers continuous lack of discipline on and off the field is an issue that needs to be addressed.

Edited 1/21: The call from the Strip Club manager was made to Darren Smith, not the previously stated John Cantera (actually spelt Katera). My apologies.

Divisional Weekend Losers: Where Do They Go From Here?

The Jets are playing the Colts, and the Vikings are heading to New Orleans to play the Saints. Those games are loaded with storylines, but as we transition into really focusing on those games, today serves as a great opportunity to take a look at Saturday and Sunday's losers.

Arizona Cardinals

Entering 2010 the Cardinals will benefit from playing in a tumultuous division. The Seahawks, 49ers, and Rams are all surrounded with too many questions to seriously consider them opening day division title contenders. The X Factor in this division is going to be Kurt Warner and whether or not he retires. Personally I foresee #13 announcing his retirement sometime before Super Bowl XLIV.

I think Anquan Boldin will remain in Arizona for at least one more season, making the transition from backup to starter a lot easier for fifth year quarterback Matt Leinart. It will be interesting to monitor the free agent quarterback market this year with Arizona in mind. If, by some odd turn of events, Donovan McNabb is let go by Philly, expect him to immediately sign with Arizona. McNabb would be the perfect fit in Arizona, and could benefit from the weak division and excellent indoor playing conditions.

If McNabb doesn't end up in Arizona, it's not the end of the world for Cardinal fans. Giving Matt Leinart the job, and an ounce of confidence, could be exactly what Leinart needs to succeed. Time has passed and Leinart can learn a lot from the recent successes of Joe Flacco and former USC teammate Mark Sanchez. I mean, how hard could it be to go behind center with Boldin, Fitzgerald, Wells and company?

Long story short, the Cardinals don't need to worry about too much in 2010. They'll be the same type of team they were in the 2008 and 2009 regular seasons with or without Kurt Warner.

Baltimore Ravens

Unlike the Cardinals, the Ravens do not benefit from playing in a weak division; As a matter of fact the AFC North looks to be even more difficult to win next year than it was this year. I fully anticipate the Steelers being a playoff team in 2010, and the Bengals and Browns will both be competitive.

What the Ravens do have going for them is a defense that has been as continuously good as an unit this decade. They are to the defensive side of the ball what the Colts have been to the offensive side of it. Their success in the 00's will carry over into the 10's, especially with the announcement that Ed Reed will return for the 2010 season.

For the Ravens, anything other than a division title will make 2010 an unsuccessful season. The Ravens have clocked into the playoffs as the six seed for the past two seasons, but the whole "road warrior" act has gotten in their way each of the past two seasons as they've ran into rival franchises in Pittsburgh and Indianapolis. If the Ravens want to get to the next level next year they're going to have to win their division at the very least; In order to do that Joe Flacco is going to need to be the MVP; not of the NFL, but at least of the AFC North.

There's no reason to believe the Ravens can't do that next year. The past two drafts have gone so well for Baltimore that they've arrived sooner than they were supposed to after 2007's disaster season. With Flacco and Rice entering their third seasons, and Oher entering his second, the Ravens should be poised to take that next step. Watch out for Brandon Marshall as a 2010 signing for this franchise, as well.

Dallas Cowboys

Of all the teams who lost this past weekend, the Cowboys will probably have the toughest road back. Not because of a lack of talent, but because of the division they play in. The Eagles are the Eagles, the Giants are the Giants, and with Mike Shanahan in town, the Redskins will no longer be the Redskins. The Cowboys also are stuck with a schedule the includes the the Vikings, Bears, Packers, Saints, Cardinals, Colts, Titans, Texans, and Jaguars. With 15 of their 16 games on their schedule being against those teams (the 16th being the Lions) nothing is guaranteed in 2010 for Dallas.

Moving forward, putting the Cowboys together for 2010 will be pretty puzzling. With Wade coming back, it seems as though Wade-Romo take four is the tactic for the year. Recent history (the Philadelphia Eagles post 2005) would suggest this is a flawed tactic, but with the amount of talent the Cowboys have on both sides of the ball, it's going to be hard to keep this team under .500.

No free agents really stand out as "Cowboy-Bound" in 2010, but if Steven Jackson becomes available you have to imagine that Jerry Jones would be intrigued. Marion Barber is a great player, and Felix Jones is the best changeup in the league, but neither back is best served as the "down and dirty" back the Cowboys need. If Jackson doesn't head to Dallas, I project Dallas picking up some sort of every down back.

The biggest question surrounding the 2010 Dallas Cowboys is what sort of pressure is surrounding Wade and Romo? I've said it once, I'll say it again, the Cowboys are stuck with Romo. He's too good to just let go, but probably not good enough to carry this team to a Super Bowl. The best thing Romo can do is work on his efficiency in 2010 and try and become more "Simms-ish" and less "Favre-ish." Romo has some great physical tools to work with, 2010 needs to be the year he finally realizes less is more though.

As for Wade, he keeps his job on account of Gruden not being interested in the Dallas job, yet. Gruden has put up with wacky owners in the past, who's to say Dallas is out of the picture in the future. It's hard to project a coaching carousel a year in advance, but it doesn't take Nostradamus to see an open saddle on the Cowboy's horse.

San Diego Chargers

The only home team to lose on Sunday also have the most glaring questions entering 2010. More so than any other team in the NFL for the past five years, the Chargers have benefited from a weak division. Though that division will be slightly better in 2010, the Chargers will still come out of it alive and enter the playoffs seeded anywhere from 1 to 4. That's not the question though, the question is what does this team need to do to take the next step and finally get to, and win the Super Bowl?

It's pretty much been confirmed by almost everyone that barring some change in philosophy, the Chargers will be waving goodbye to LaDainian Tomlinson (and perhaps waving to his Mom if she's in the crowd), Shawne Merriman, and (hopefully for San Diego's sake) Antonio Cromartie.
Vincent Jackson got arrested (again) before Sunday's game, age is catching up to Antonio Gates, and Philip Rivers now has a 8 to 9 TD to INT ratio in the playoffs. Let's not even get into their pro bowl kicker.

In order for the Chargers to take the next step their going to have to draft a running back, and find some real leadership on defense. Look at what bringing in Sharper and Woodson has done for the Saints and Packers franchises respectively. Who is the Chargers defensive leader? Stephen Cooper? Shaun Phillips? That's not going to cut it. The Chargers need to bring in some defensive leadership.

Charger fans have also cited injuries as a major reason for the teams early playoff exit. So you lost Jamal Williams, big deal! That shouldn't prevent you from advancing past the Jets, especially when the Jets are playing without Kris Jenkins and Leon Washington, two Pro Bowlers from 2008. As for the Colts? They have Anthony Gonzalez, Bob Sanders, Marlin Jackson, and Tyjuan Hagler on the IR. That's four opening day starters.

What the Chargers really want to do in 2010 is change everything. LT is gone, Merriman is gone, it's time to start over. It's a new decade. This is a team the desperately needs a new culture. The 2010 Chargers will be given every opportunity the 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, and 2004 Chargers were given. The only way different results will occur is if different ingredients are added to the solution.

Nate Kaeding, Chargers, Choke: Join Eagles as Decades Biggest Choke Artists

For the fifth time this decade the Chargers have gotten into the playoffs with high expectations but will not have advanced to the Super Bowl.

But this year was different. This year the Chargers had a different feel. This was the year the Chargers were better than the Patriots, Ravens, and Steelers. This was the year that all the Chargers would have to do is beat a team they've made a living beating; the Indianapolis Colts.

But it wasn't to be. The Chargers, who were widely considered the weekends biggest favorites, came out Sunday and laid an egg. The game had the familiar feeling of Charger losses of the past. L.T was useless, Rivers got hot-headed, Nate Kaeding missed three field goals, and Merriman stood on the sideline gasping into an oxygen tank. Norv Turner ran out on the field to dispute a fumble that wasn't even under review, and Charger fans bailed on their team to the point where, in front of the biggest national audience Qualcomm has had in decades, a loud "J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets!" chant could be heard.

The game solidified a lot of unfortunate things for the Chargers. First and foremost it solidified Norv Turner's butt back on the hot seat. The expectations this team had did not warrant a "one and done." Second, the pressure is on Philip Rivers. I think Philip Rivers is a great quarterback, easily top ten in the NFL, but if you really think about it he's been far from stellar in the playoffs. He has three playoff wins as a starter, two against the Colts, one against the Titans, and one win against the Colts came from the hot hand known as Billy Volek.

The pressure has also fallen onto LaDainian Tomlinson to leave San Diego. It's time. You've meant more to this franchise than any other player, at the very least you're on the same plain as Seau and Fouts. Unfortunately your playoff resume has sickened San Diego fans to the point where they booed every time you touched the ball on Sunday. I know it wasn't his fault, but that music video was released at a really unfortunate time for Tomlinson. But look at the bright side, if Ed Reed, Brett Favre, and Kurt Warner all retire this year, mixed with Seau, it could be a pretty stacked Hall of Fame class in 2014.

It's also time for Merriman to leave. That was obvious before this game, but he's useless now. Ever since the steroids thing in 2006 he's been a shell of his former self. Charger fans will not be the least bit upset if he's not on the roster entering 2010.

And then there's Nate Kaeding. What else is there to say about Kaeding besides stating the obvious, he is the new Mike Vanderjagt. When the pressure is off, or even in "big" kicks in the regular season, he can make them all. In the playoffs, I'd take anyone but Kaeding. He is the new Mike Vanderjagt, plain and simple.

The Chargers also become this decades AFC version of the Eagles. The team that always looked like a Super Bowl contender, but could never get it together. I suppose the Eagles will get more attention as the "Bills of the 00's" because they had more success overall than the Chargers (the Eagles at least got to five NFC title games to the Chargers one), but Chargers lack of success is worth noting. I often put them in the same sentence as New England, Pittsburgh, and Indianapolis, but that may need to change until they win.

Don't get me wrong, the Chargers are a very good team, but like the Dallas Cowboys, talent doesn't equal wins. There is too much immaturity on this Chargers team (stemming from their leadership in Rivers and Tomlinson) and that needs to change. This is a team that faces adversity like the Raiders pass the ball: they don't. The Chargers gave up today.

The Chargers probably won't fire Norv, though they should. Rivers is their quarterback as long as he wants to be, he's that good. This is a team that cannot win a Super Bowl until they change something though, and it's more than a head coach, it's a culture.

The AFC Playoff Mess: Will the Bengals and Patriots "Lay Down?"

As you may have heard, the Steelers LaMarr Woodley believes that the Bengals and the Patriots will not try their hardest to win their games this Sunday in order to prevent the Steelers from making the playoffs.

And to be honest, if I were a member of the Bengal or Patriot organizations I'd encourage that very action.

The AFC playoffs, if the Patriots and Bengals lose on Sunday, mixed with a Ravens win over Oakland, will look like this:

6. Baltimore @ 3. New England
5. New York @ 4. Cincinnati

Obviously New England will lose their game to Houston for two reasons; first off, they don't want to play the Steelers, second, they would much rather play the Jets than the Ravens in the first round.

So essentially, New England will be putting their eggs in the basket of the Bengals attempting to win in order to get the number 3 seed. But the Bengals have the benefit of playing the night game, they'll see what happens before their game, and they will be able to know that if they lose they play the Jets in the first round.

It's not a shot on the Jets as much as it's strategy. Obviously the Jets are a very capable team; they have a great running game, a solid offensive line, and a contending defense. The reasoning is, not to anger the Jets fans out there, that the Jets quarterback is really, really, really, bad (compared to the 11 other Quarterbacks in the playoffs). Why would you want to play the Ravens or the Texans or the Broncos or (heavens forbid) the Steelers, when you could play the Mark Sanchez lead New York Jets.

A lot of people also believe the Colts pursuit (or lack there of) of perfection ended purposely to the Jets for this reason. Bill Polian is no idiot, he got all his numbers and figures in before kickoff with the Jets on Sunday and realized that if things play out the way he expects them to (which seems almost definite now) the Colts would be guaranteed to host either the Ravens, the Bengals, or the Jets in the divisional round.

Since the Tony Dungy era began in 2002, the Colts have played those teams a combined 14 times, and have only one true loss (Sundays game to the Jets does not count) to those teams, a 41-0 2002 Wild Card loss to the Jets. Obviously, if given the opportunity to play one of those three teams or the New England Patriots or Pittsburgh Steelers, Polian would know what the correct answer is.

The only thing that's guaranteed in the NFL is that nothing is guaranteed in the NFL, but what the Colts, Patriots, and Bengals will do in letting the Jets make the playoffs, and keeping the Steelers out, is ensure the easiest route to Miami.

For the Patriots, that route will include (if things stand) Baltimore, San Diego, and Indianapolis consecutively (that's brutal). For the Bengals, their route will include New York, then a trip to Indianapolis, which if they get through they'll likely have to travel back to San Diego. And for the Colts, they sit pretty with a bye, then play either the Ravens, Jets, or Bengals before playing one of their two biggest rivals in the AFC Championship game.

I guess Herm was wrong, you don't always play to win the game.

Chargers Wrap Up a First Round Bye

The game's not over yet but the Chargers are mauling the Titans 42-10 in the 4th quarter. The loss will ensure that the Titans remain dead for the decade, and the Chargers will host a game in the 19th week of the NFL season.

The 2009 Chargers are considered by themselves to be the best Chargers team of the decade. Considering the 04, 07, and 08 Chargers didn't get byes, I'd agree. The 2006 Chargers on the other hand had what the 2009 Chargers lack, and will likely need in the playoffs; a defense and running game.

If things hold out the way we assume they will, the Chargers are going to host the Patriots in the divisional round of the AFC Playoffs. Though it's hard to argue the Patriots are more talented than the Chargers, it's also hard to argue that the Chargers are more talented than the Patriots. In other words, these two teams aren't that far apart.

One thing the Patriots can do that a lot of the teams on the Chargers '09 schedule could not is produce touchdowns. In 2006 we saw a (much weaker than now) Patriots offense move the ball against a (much better than now) Chargers defense that was considered one of the best in the league. The Chargers lost that game because of youthful mistakes, the Patriots dominated the Chargers in the 2007 regular season, and again outplayed them for 60 minutes in the 07 playoffs. The Chargers finally got the better of the Patriots in 2008 when Matt Cassell filled in for an injured Tom Brady.

The 2009 Patriots haven't done well on the road, but traditionally San Diego hasn't been as daunting of a place to play as Indianapolis, the Meadowlands, Denver, or New Orleans; places New England have lost in 2009.

If the well rested Chargers can get past the Patriots they'll likely have to travel to Indianapolis to play the team they've ejected from the playoffs the past two seasons; the Colts.

Before you automatically qualify the Chargers for the Super Bowl based on this match up remember a few things; the Colts and Chargers games have never been decided before the five minutes of the game;

In the 2007 regular season, Manning lead the Colts back (playing without Clark, Harrison, Addai, amidst others) from a 21 point deficit and put the Colts in position to win on the road in San Diego before Vinatieri missed a go ahead chip shot.

In the 2007 playoffs, mistakes by Marvin Harrison and Kenton Keith (players no longer on the Colts) allowed the Chargers, lead by Billy Volek and Michael Turner (players no longer on the team) to score a game winning drive (which featured a Dwight Freeney-less opposing pass rush).

In the 2008 regular season, Adam Vinatieri made up for his 2007 mistake by hitting a game winning field goal in the 4th quarter against the Chargers in San Diego. The Colts would win the game en route to a 12-4 record, but because of the leagues playoff set up they'd have to travel to 8-8 San Diego come playoff time.

In the 2008 playoffs, the game was decided by a great punting game by San Diego, and a poor rush defense from Indianapolis. In 2009 the Chargers punting game has dropped back to the pack, the Colts rush defense has caught up to the pack, and the Chargers rushing attack has fell drastically to the middle of the pack.

What else is different between these two teams? How about a new head coach and a new defensive coordinator in Indianapolis?

In other words, these are two different teams. The 2007-2008 Indianapolis Colts aren't the 2009 Colts. Unlike the Patriots and Chargers (who have kept most of their coaching and player personnel from the 2007 season) the Colts are an entirely different, much younger, team then they were before that.

I'm not saying the Colts win the game, I'm just saying it's not going to be as easy for the Chargers as the media are making it out to be.

But what matters now is the Chargers have gotten back to the divisional round of the playoffs for the fourth year in a row. No other team in the NFL can say that.

Not even the Patriots or the Colts.

Wade and Norv: Are Their Teams for Real?

After the 2006 season, legendary coaches in Dallas and San Diego lost their jobs. For Bill Parcells in Dallas, it was his own decision; he no longer wanted to be a head coach. Marty Schottenheimer on the other hand was fired because of a "one-and-done" in the playoffs after managing a 14-2 record with a first year starter at QB.

For some still unknown reason the Cowboys decided hire Wade Phillips and Chargers decided to hire Norv Turner.

For San Diego, the Chargers replaced a head coach known for getting his teams to the playoffs (although he was also known for losing in the playoffs), with a head coach who had nine seasons under his belt but only one playoff appearance (and only two winning seasons).

In Wade Phillips, Jerry Jones and the Cowboys hired the head coach known for taking over the "on-the-verge" Denver Broncos in 1993 and setting them back two years. As the head coach of the Buffalo Bills, Phillips made the notorious call to bench Doug Flutie in favor of Rob Johnson heading into the 1999 playoffs. That decision lead to the Bills being unable to hold on to a lead against the Titans, and the Bills franchise has yet to get back to the playoffs.

Despite both San Diego and Dallas looking as if they gave up mansions for cardboard cut outs of mansions, the 2007 season was not that bad for either franchise. Dallas finished the season 13-3 and earned themselves the #1 seed in the NFC playoffs, a position they would use to host and lose to the eventual Super Bowl Champion NY Giants. After a 1-3 start, San Diego finished 11-5 and made it all the way to the AFC championship game, before losing to the (then) undefeated Patriots.

After what some teams would consider a successful 2007 season, both the Chargers and Cowboys fan communities still called for the respective heads of their coaches. Their cries were left unanswered.

In San Diego, most people probably wished that Norv was not only fired but exiled after a 4-8 start to the 2008 season. Miraculously, the team would get it together to win their final four games of the regular season, including a season ending showdown with the Denver Broncos. The Broncos collapse meant San Diego would host a home playoff game in the first round of the playoffs, despite having an 8-8 record.

Of course the 8-8 Chargers would go on to defeat the 12-4 Colts in overtime, before getting squashed by Pittsburghs run defense in the divisional round. For the second year in a row, in spite of being heavy AFC favorites heading into the season, the Chargers regular season woes would get in the way of playoff success. Still, the Chargers decided to keep Norv.

Dallas were even less successful in 2008. Though they entered the 2008 regular season as heavy favorites to not only win the NFC, but also to have a shot at winning the Super Bowl, the Cowboys would finish their season 9-7 and miss the playoffs. Somehow, despite an embarrassing 44-6 loss in a "winner goes to the playoffs" game with the Eagles, the Cowboys decided to stick with Phillips for 2009.

Now here we are in 2009. The Chargers are 5-3 and the Cowboys are 6-2. Both teams look as though they're ready to make another playoff run. Unfortunately for the Chargers, they'll once again likely have to play three games just to get to the Super Bowl; thanks in large part to another beatdown at the hands of the Steelers.

As for Dallas, they control their own playoff seeding. At 6-2, the Cowboys get a shot at New Orleans and can take control on the NFC with a win in that game.

Still, most people would be reserved to pick Dallas to get to the Super Bowl with Wade Phillips as head coach. There is nothing on his resume that would suggest he'll be able to do what it takes to beat the Vikings, Saints, or even the Cardinals when it matters most.

Norv on the other hand has once again crippled his teams Super Bowl aspirations by putting the team in an early season ditch. At 5-3, there's likely no chance the team catches the 8-0 Indianapolis Colts, and a head to head loss put the Chargers behind the Pittsburgh Steelers in seeding. Not to mention that the Chargers are still two games behind the Denver Broncos for the AFC West lead. As of now it looks as though if the Chargers have any real hope to make it the Super Bowl they're going to have to go through New England, Indianapolis, and Pittsburgh consecutively. A task that even the greatest teams in NFL history probably couldn't pull off in 2009.

There's no doubt in my mind that both the Chargers and Cowboys are "for real." Both teams have been immensely talented since the middle of the decade. In fact, I'm one of the people who honestly believe that from 2007 to 2008 these were the two most talented teams in the NFL.

But there's a reason that the Giants, and Steelers won those three Super Bowls instead of the Cowboys and Chargers; because of their superior head coaching ability. Superior head coaching ability that quieted egos and players who would do nothing but complain (you know who I'm referring to there). The Cowboys and Chargers combined to win zero Super Bowls from 2007 to 2008 because Norv Turner and Wade Phillips couldn't keep a camp of fat kids focused in a Burger King, let alone keep the attention a team of twenty-somethings with a ton of wealth.

In 2009 it'd be hard to say that the Cowboys and Chargers are still the most talented teams in the league. That's what happens though; teams get older and players skill sets erode. LaDanian Tomlinson is no longer a serviceable back in the league and the Chargers running offense and running defense can't be considered in the top half of the league. Dallas still have to worry about their pass defense and running offense. Marion Barber is better served as a "closer," and Felix Jones is rapidly becoming the Bob Sanders of offensive football (and not in the good way). Still, both teams could beat any team in the league.

So it looks as though Phillips and Turner are doing what they have to do to keep their jobs; and in turn both are doing what they have to do to keep their franchises "window of opportunity" rapidly closing.

Injuries Are Piling Up: How It Shapes the Playoff Picture

"Hot and Healthy." Those two words have replaced the phrases "best team," and "most talented" when it comes to who often wins the Super Bowl.

The NFL presents its players with a very long season is you really think about. To get to the Super Bowl a team usually needs to play at least 18 games; in the 00's a lot of team have had to play 19 just to get there; changing the strategy from "win all your games from September to December and you'll be fine in January" to "make sure these guys are given every sort of medication there is to make sure they can play on Sunday."

The 2005 season was really where this strategy all began; In October the Chicago White Sox won the World Series after having a miserable final stretch of the regular season. The White Sox were able to stay healthy, and get hot at the right time though, which lead them to a Championship.

Meanwhile in the NFL, the Indianapolis Colts were off to an epic 13-0 start, while the Steelers would need to win their next three games just to get into the playoffs. After a loss to the San Diego Chargers in week 15, the Colts decided to coast through the rest of the season; benching a majority of their starters; essentially giving their key players a month off before their next important game.

The Steelers on the other hand got hot. They won the last three games of the season by a combined point differential of +70, and went into Cincinnati and beat them up Wild Card Weekend. On January 15, 2006 the Steelers would head to Indianapolis in a game that would change coaching strategy for the rest of the decade.

The game began with the fresh but out-of-sync Colts struggling to put a drive together while the Steelers were able to put up a quick 14. The first half would end with a 14-3 score in favor of Pittsburgh.

In the third quarter the Steelers put together what looked like a crippling drive to make the score 21-3 in favor of Pittsburgh. In the fourth quarter Indianapolis's' offense would finally find it's rhythm, putting up 15 unanswered points, but would fall a Mike Vanderjagt missed field goal away from advancing in the playoffs.

The fourth quarter of that game proved who the "best team" and the "most talented team" was that day, but the "hot and healthy" team went on to win.

On the other hand, Bill Belichick's 2007 Patriots grinded, and grinded, and grinded down the stretch to a perfect 16-0 record, and grinded through two tough playoff games to finish the season 18-0, before meeting the New York Giants, who were hotter, healthier, and younger than the Patriots. Without a doubt the Patriots were "more talented" and the "better team," but the wear and tear of the 18 game schedule put it's toll on New England's ancient defense and offensive lines. In the fourth quarter, the Giants young offense exposed the exhaustion of New England's defense and picked up a touchdown. In the following drive New England's offensive line totally collapsed letting Brady hit the ground on four straight plays. The Giants would be named Super Bowl XLII champions.

So what teams lurking around right now are healthy?

Early in the season the Colts, Patriots, and Steelers all picked up injuries that the media and fans viewed as "crippling." Since then the Colts and Steelers have gotten significantly healthier, while all three have continued to bench key players each week. Though these are probably the three teams in the NFL that need to be healthy the least to win the Super Bowl, all three are looking to be in good shape come January; it's just a matter of getting hot.

In the NFC the Saints are relatively very healthy; especially when you consider many of their key players (Shockey, Colston, Bush, Vilma, even Brees, have had injury problems in the past). With a roster loaded with that many "injury prone" players though, you have to wonder how much longer this could last.

For the second season in a row the New York Giants are feeling the wrath of their previous season. Thus far Eli Manning and Justin Tuck, the leaders on each side of the ball, have suffered injuries that could nag them for the duration of the season. Meanwhile the Dallas Cowboys have stayed healthy and are just getting hot. Despite a week 1 loss at home to the Giants, the Cowboys are currently in first place in their division while the Giants are in third. The Eagles, as usual, are winning despite key injuries, but this team should be healthy come January.

In 2008 Brett Favre had the New York Jets in similar shape to what he has the Minnesota Vikings currently are. At 8-3, Jets fans were ready to start booking their trips to the Super Bowl, unfortunately Favre's arm fell off in the later months of the season. Will that happen this year? For one, Favre is asked to do a lot less in Minnesota than he is in New York, and playing in a dome is a lot easier than playing in the Meadowlands. But you have to wonder if Favre has nine more games in him this season? It may be time to get him on a "pitch count" if the Vikings want to win when it matters. Same goes for Adrian Peterson.

Perhaps this seasons "hot and healthy" team to watch will be last years "hot and healthy" team; the Arizona Cardinals. Right now the Cardinals have been the poster children for inconsistency; just as they were in 2008. Chances are this team will be in the playoffs due to a weak division, and if they want to get back to the Super Bowl they're going to have to be "hotter and healthier" than everyone else.

Finally you have the San Diego Chargers who last year were able to get hot enough, but not healthy enough, to finally make the elusive run the Super Bowl. This season the Chargers are looking relatively healthy, but they've yet to get hot. It's going to be tough for this team come playoff time (if they make it) to advance, given they likely won't have the luxury of playing any games in San Diego's nice weather; thus making their health the greatest factor in finally advancing.

So when you line up the contenders (sorry Denver) this January look at who is healthiest, and then watch for them to get hot. Once you see any signs of heat rising, that's the team to watch.

Keep The NFL Out of Los Angeles

You've probably heard by now that California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (yeah, he's still the Governor and Californians are still paying the price for something people thought would be cool and funny five years ago) has pushed forth the proposed $800,000,000 football stadium to be built in Los Angeles.

Before we talk football let me first say that it's pretty much a common fact that no stadium ever built with taxpayer money ever turned profit for it's taxpayers. It's simply there for entertainment, and creating a few jobs; mostly entertainment though. Although in this economy every job is important, (construction, stadium vendors, maintenance), using taxpayer money to create a football stadium when the state of California is financially collapsing seems like a bogus idea.

Next, the city of Los Angeles failed to support professional football before. It's well know that these fans will only hop on a train when it's already full, or never at all (which may explain the cities awful public transportation). The Rams and Raiders didn't leave LA because they had great attendance, they left because the teams hit hard times and they couldn't attract more than 35,000 on average.

The decline of football in LA had nothing to do with outdated facilities either. Currently the Jets and Giants share the same "old" stadium in New Jersey and both teams sell out every game, every season; in much worse weather, often with bad teams. This isn't east coast bias, these are just facts. California fans are not east coast fans, their passion for sports doesn't match their passion for leisure.

Los Angeles is also a melting pot of transplants. You walk around downtown on any given day and you'll see Steelers, Packers, Colts, and 49ers fans everywhere; not to mention a ton of Giants, Cowboys, Chargers, Rams, and Raiders fans. Unless one of those teams moves to LA, there just won't be a market for it. This would mean the Rams, Raiders, and Chargers are at the top of the list for moving to LA.

Vikings fans, you can now breath a sigh of relief.

I don't see Al Davis moving the team back to LA considering the divorce from the market was pretty messy. But a shiny new stadium in LA might be tempting, and the Raiders are still the most popular team in the region; Not to mention the Oakland Coliseum is way past it's prime and nothing new is set to be built. Still, I just don't see it. The Raiders just belong in Oakland.

The Rams would fit perfectly back in Los Angeles. St. Louis needs a new stadium and plans to get one done are sketchy. The team is up for sale as well, making it easier to make the move back to LA. However, if the Checketts group wins the bid for the team, NFL rules will likely keep the team in St. Louis.

The Chargers make the most sense. There's really no plan to build a new stadium, the team desperately needs a new stadium, and the franchise has already acquired territorial rights for Orange County. Moving the team up north would likely hurt the Charger fans in San Diego, but the team would remain San Diego's market team. I like the odds of this happening the most. San Diego has had financial problems lately, the city recently build the Padres a state of the art ball park, and historically, both the Chargers and Padres have drawn poor attendance numbers in down years.

Still, moving any of these three franchises to Los Angeles would not end any of their franchises question marks outside of stadium issues. Attendance in Los Angeles will always be iffy. When the team in 11-5 it'll be bustling. When the team is 14-2 it'll be a mad house. When the team is 8-8 it'll be quiet. When the team is 5-11 it'll be empty. This is a guarantee. Whichever franchise moves to LA may get a shiny new stadium, but it won't find itself off of the "black out" lists anytime soon.

Also, there hasn't been a rapid desire from the people of LA for a professional team. This is a USC city right now. The fans of Los Angeles care a lot more about College football than they do for pro football and it's not because they don't have a pro team. USC has captured the sports fans of this region the same way the Lakers have. If a pro team comes to LA, they'll be second fiddle to a college powerhouse; much like in Jacksonville.

So before you make a bigger mess than you already have Governor, put this to rest. It's a mess in the making. Things have been just fine without a pro football team in LA. In fact, since football left LA, the league has exploded. I'm not saying they're relative statements, but it proves that the league is fine the way it is.

Norv Turner Has Got to Go

The Chargers are off to their third slow start in as many years; all on the heels of their 14-2 season where the team went from being as socially pertinent as the Minnesota Wild, to joining the ranks of the Giants, Packers, Eagles, Colts, Bears, Cowboys, Patriots, and Steelers as the leagues most viable franchises.

Time has proven that the 14-2 Chargers were more of a mirage, and the team, though a member of the AFC Elite, should not be expected to ever reach 14-2 again... not with this group at least. That being said this is still a playoff team.

The AFC West is bad. Although the Broncos are 4-0, the Chargers still have two games with their division rival Broncos, and if they can take care of those, will be in control of their division yet again. Last year a division title was enough to give them a home game against a team that had won four more regular season games; this year a home game in that first round will yet again be valuable given that if the Chargers can pull of a fourth straight division title they'd likely be hosting either the Steelers, Ravens, Patriots, or Jets. Four teams the Chargers will benefit greatly from having at home.

All of this being said, Charger fans should still not be happy with the state of their team. Sure, their two losses are against the two teams who played in last years AFC Championship game, but that's the point! The teams two losses are against the two teams who played in last years AFC Championship game! These are the two teams that San Diego needs to prove they can beat when the pressure is on. If the Chargers want to live up to their hype they're going to need to beat teams like the Steelers, Ravens, and Patriots; and they're probably not going to host more than one of them at home.

All of this falls down on their head coach. Sure (0verrated) GM AJ Smith has placed the blame on the players, and not head coach Norv Turner, but I'm going to take the other side on this one AJ.

In Sunday Night's game against the Steelers the Chargers had the opportunity to go 3-1 and send the Steelers to 1-3, crippling the defending Super Bowl champs hopes at home field throughout the playoffs. Stifling some of the playoff dreams of the team that embarrassed the Chargers last January. Heading into Sunday Night I expected to see the Chargers come out with the sense of fire we've grown used to seeing, the fire and urgency we saw last year against Tampa and Denver. The Chargers had all the momentum heading into Sunday and the Steelers had none.

That was until the opening drive where Big Ben and Rashard Mendenhall made these Chargers look like the 2003 Chargers. After that drive we saw another pair of beastly drives by the Steelers. We saw Complanian Tomlinson stand on the sidelines and pout. We saw Ron Rivera yell a bunch of curse words trying to motivate a bunch of kids wealthier than he is. But most importantly we saw Norv do nothing.

Then Norv comes out the tunnel for the second half and we hear a report saying Norv thinks the offense needs to do a better job... Seriously Norv? You're problem isn't your offense. Everyone in the NFL knows you have a great offense. The problem was your offense was never on the field because you couldn't stop someone named Mewelde. Even with Complainian declining at an equal rate to Edgerrin James your offense is still top tier. It's that Ron River lead defense that's the problem.

You can tell me that it's Jamal Williams injury that deserves some blame for the Chargers defensive decline but I say that's a load of crap. The Pats are missing Mayo, the Colts are missing Sanders, and the Steelers are missing Polamalu, and their units are still playing at a higher level than the Chargers D. And wasn't the Steelers run offense their weakness?

Pretty much the only thing the Sunday Night game proved is that the 09 Chargers, though talented and still a potential playoff team (by default), are not ready to compete with the big boys. Come January I'm not quite sure this team has what it takes to take out the Ravens, Patriots, or Steelers... and chances are they may have to take out all three if they want to live up to all the hype we've been forced to swallow every summer.

The Chargers need to get rid of Norv. I don't wanna hear he beat the Colts two years in a row. That doesn't matter, he hasn't won the big one. Every year he's handicapped this Chargers team by starting slow and preventing his team from getting that first round bye. It looks like he's going to do it again for the third year straight. AJ has drafted poorly. Norv has coached poorly. If AJ wants to cover his tracks and get this team on the right one, he'll fire Norv and give John Gruden whatever it takes to come out of the booth and onto to the field back in the AFC West.

If not AJ may end up like the other (more talented) GM in San Diego sports... unemployed.