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Gates, Tomlinson miss Friday practice, are questionable to play Saturday

If it’s the postseason, the San Diego Chargers must be dealing with injuries. This time, it’s running back LaDainian Tomlinson and tight end Antonio Gates who are hurt.

Tomlinson has a strained groin and abdominal muscles after fighting through a toe injury for most of the season. Gates has a high ankle sprain. Neither participated in practice Friday and are listed as questionable for Saturday night’s AFC Wild Card Game against the Indianapolis Colts.

The Chargers defeated the Colts in an AFC Divisional Playoff Game last year with Tomlinson and quarterback Philip Rivers on the sidelines. In fact, the Chargers’ winning drive was directed by backup QB Billy Volek. Still, the Chargers probably would prefer to go with their full compliment of players Saturday.

via NFL.com


Colts already have proven they can win at Qualcomm, yet the Chargers have won three of the last four including last year in the playoffs.

Colts will sling the ball; Chargers want to make them hurry
The Indianapolis Colts recently have struggled against teams that run 3-4 defenses.

Not this season. The Colts are 5-0 when facing the scheme, including a 23-20 road victory over the San Diego Chargers in Week 12.

But will that carry over Saturday night against a red-hot Chargers team that has averaged 37.3 points during a four-game winning streak that brought them the AFC West title and a playoff spot? Can San Diego slow down an even-hotter Indianapolis team that has won nine straight and is averaging 25.3 points per game since its last loss?

via NFL.com

Week 18: Colts vs. Chargers Preview - video at NFL.com

Greg Cosell dissects San Diego's dynamic play-action passing game.

Sterling Sharpe and Brian Billick examine how Philip Rivers can lead San Diego to a playoff win.

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Associated Press 2008 NFL MVP voting

32 votes - Peyton Manning (Colts)
04 votes - Chad Pennington (Dolphins)
04 votes - Michael Turner (Falcons)
03 votes - Adrian Peterson (Vikings)
03 votes - James Harrison (Steelers)
02 votes - Philip Rivers (Chargers)
01 votes - Chris Johnson (Titans)
01 votes - Kurt Warner (Cardinals)

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BoltHype recommends the following Sports Bars to catch the Chargers games:


55 Yard Line (website)
(760) 744-1960
1020 W San Marcos Blvd # 114
San Marcos, CA 92078
Get directions!

Legends Bar and Grill
(760) 744-1960
328 S Twin Oaks Valley Rd
San Marcos, CA 92078
Get directions!

Players Sports Bar (website)
(858) 277-7060
7061 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111
Get directions!

Bullpen Bar & Grill‎ (website)
(858) 503-6786
8199 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San diego, CA 92111
Get directions!

Rookies Sports Bar (website)
(760) 757-1123
2216 S El Camino Real # 221
Oceanside, CA 92054
Get directions!

Bullpen Bar & Grill Encinitas‎ (website)
(760) 635-9020
149 S El Camino Real
Encinitas, CA 92024
Get directions!

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In the final week of the regular season, Ladainain Tomlinson was voted by the fans as the FedEx Ground player of the week. LT has won the crap out of this award over the past few years, but he only won it once this year. Scoring three touchdowns to help your team win the division on the national stage will certainly help garner votes from fantasy football fans across the country.

The NFL also announced that Philip Rivers is the AFC's Player Of The Month:

OFFENSE: QB PHILIP RIVERS, SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

Rivers led the Chargers to a 4-0 record in December as San Diego captured its third consecutive AFC West title and became the first team to reach the playoffs after a 4-8 start. For the month, Rivers completed 80 of 121 passes (66.1 percent) for 1,054 yards with a NFL-high 11 touchdowns versus one interception and a 120.3 passer rating. In Week 15 against Kansas City (12/14), Rivers was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week after directing a Chargers’ fourth quarter-rally for a 22-21 win. In the fourth quarter against the Chiefs, Rivers completed 18 of 24 passes (75.0 percent) for 190 yards with two touchdowns and a 125.3 passer rating. Two weeks later against Denver in a must-win scenario to reach the playoffs, Rivers posted a 141.0 passer rating and registered two or more touchdown passes for the fourth time in December as the Chargers defeated the Broncos 52-21. The veteran signal caller recorded a NFL-high 105.5 passer rating this season and tied for a league-best 34 touchdowns (Saints, DREW BREES).

In his fifth season from North Carolina State, this is Rivers’ first career Player of the Month Award. He is the first Chargers player to win Offensive Player of the Month since LA DAINIAN TOMLINSON in 2006 (November). Rivers joins STAN HUMPHRIES (October of 1992 and September of 1994) as the second San Diego quarterback to win the award.

Unfortunately for Rivers, no one outside of San Diego is seriously considering him an MVP candidate. Obviously I've been making my case for him for weeks, but almost the entire staff of writers at NFL.com has their votes in for Peyton Manning. While Manning is certainly deserving of another MVP award, I wouldn't go as far as to say that he is head and shoulders above Philip Rivers.

The Colts defense is generally acknowledged as being very good, and they have not had to overcome such drastic coaching changes like those in San Diego. But don't tell that to the mainstream media; Peyton Manning is the poster boy for the National Football league, appearing in more TV commercials than any other player in the league. Rivers on the other hand has gained a reputation of being cocky, abrasive, whiny, and a bit of a loudmouth. Rivers has my vote for MVP because without him, the Chargers would not be in the position they are in right now. He's made the people around him better, especially Vincent Jackson. And with the defense struggling and without a solid running game, Rivers had to carry the Chargers on his back just to get them to 8-8. Rivers has better numbers than anyone in the league and if he doesn't win the MVP this year it'll be a real shame because these types of numbers are going to be hard to reproduce in future seasons...

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The following players are heading into the 2009 NFL season as free agents:

Offensive Tackle Jeromey Clary 2009: Restricted Free Agent
Wide Receiver Malcom Floyd 2009: Restricted Free Agent
Cornerback Cletis Gordon 2009: Restricted Free Agent
Offensive Guard Mike Goff 2009: Free Agent
Outside Linebacker Marques Harris 2009: Free Agent
Center Jeremy Newberry 2009: Free Agent
Running Back Darren Sproles 2009: Free Agent

The only guy I think the Chargers will not have interest in resigning would be Jeremy Newberry. He's on his last legs (knees) and he'll probably retire after this season. The Chargers will look to bring in a Center via the draft or free agency to back up Nick Hardwick.

Marques Harris could be resigned, but the Chargers are expecting to have Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips are their starters next year, and Antwan Applewhite and Jyles Tucker are expected to back them up. The Chargers will probably add to the linebacking corp in the draft so Harris may or may not be a priority free agent for them.

I expect Malcom Floyd to be resigned. He had a career season, catching four touchdown passes and gaining 465 yards receiving. In fact, he and Chris Chambers had almost identical season (Chambers caught five touchdowns with 462 yards). Craig Davis is quickly becoming a non-factor in San Diego, so expect Floyd to come back next year and be a reliable target for Philip Rivers.

Cletis Gordon may or may not resign with the Chargers. My only concern is he may desire a chance to start, and there's probably not the opportunity to do so here in San Diego. The Chargers would certainly like to keep him as Quentin Jammer's primary backup, so I expect them to make him a priority free agent.

Starting right offensive guard Mike Goff was brought in as a free agent under AJ Smith and has not missed a start in five years. At 32 years old, Goff is nearing the twilight of his career but he still has gas in the tank. Fans have mixed opinions when it comes to Mike Goff's value to the team, but he is a starter in this league. If the Chargers choose not to resign Goff, they had need to be quite sure that they have someone, or will find someone, who is a better player. I think Goff will come back for another year or two if the Chargers don't win the SuperBowl this year.

Jeromey Clary in my mind is priority resign. Clary has made some mistakes this year, but there is an awful lot to like about him from a physical and mental standpoint. Clary is still developing as a player and will continue to get better. I think the Chargers need to keep him around and if they invest in him, I am sure Clary will prove to be a solid starter in this league for years to come.

Darren Sproles is perhaps the Chargers biggest priority heading into free agency. Whatever doubts I had about Sproles as a return man have been answered this year, and I think the change of pace he offers on offense. I do not see him as an every down back, but rather I compare him to what Kevin Faulk offered the Patriots for so many years. The Chargers probably don't see Sproles as Tomlinson's primary backup either, but I hope they find a way to keep him around.

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I'm going to be the first guy to admit that I was on the fence last year about Darren Sproles. Statistically speaking, Sproles was a middle of the road guy as a return man, and I hadn't seen him run between the tackles enough to be confidant he could serve as Ladainian Tomlinson's primary backup. I had question marks about Sproles, and I was looking forward to see how those questions would be answered this year.

Here we are, a full season in and onto the playoffs and Darren Sproles has emerged as one of the games best return men. And in addition to his return skills, Sproles racked up 700 yards on offense and 6 touchdown scores. One of the biggest things that jumps out to me about Sproles' development from a year ago is his patience and vision he now displays. He is no longer outrunning his blockers. He allows the play to unfold before him and he uses his incredible acceleration to lull defenders and then explode past them. Sproles certainly stepped up in a big way this year, and that's exactly what he needed to do. Its a contract year for him, but the Chargers prepared themselves by drafting Jacob Hester. However, Sproles earned a roster spot in training camp, and he's earned a new contract with his Pro Bowl-like play this year.

In a recent interview with the NFL Network, Indianapolis Colts' GM Bill Polian talked about his team matching up with the San Diego Chargers, a ball club that has given him fits the past few years. One of the guys he called out was Darren Sproles:

We have to do some things to win that game, or be in that game at the end, that we did back in November (IND 23 @ SD 20) but didn't do here (in San Diego) when we played them in the playoffs last year. For one thing, we've got to limit Sproles, particularly in the kicking game. We can't give him any home runs in the kicking game because he does that with regularity. The other thing we have to do is limit their big plays, both with Sproles and LT in the running game. They thrive on that. And we've got to limit their big plays in the passing game because they are, with Rivers and that great receiving core, a tremendous down-field big-play team. We've got to make them hit doubles and not home runs. If we do that, and we don't turn the ball over, we should have a chance to be in the game at the end, as we were in the previous contest and you hope that you can make a play to win it. But we have to play our best in order for it to be a close game because they are an extremely, extremely talented team.

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Revenge is sweet, even if it comes in a roundabout sort of way. The Chargers, at 8-8, are in the playoffs while their cross-country rivals the New England Patriots are on the outside looking in, despite compiling an impressive 11-5 record. Some might consider it an injustice that a team with eleven wins is sent packing, but college football fans would tell you to cry them a river.

In the AFC East, both the New England Patriots and the Miami Dolphins finished the season with 11-5 records. That in and of itself is hard to believe - the Dolphins won only one game last year, and the Patriots lost Tom Brady for the entire season when he went on the IR in week one. But I digress.

The Dolphins and Patriots were tied in their bids for the playoffs, but Miami is in and the Patriots are not. So what exactly does this have to do with the San Diego Chargers? ESPN.com's Tim Graham breaks it down:

Miami and New England finished with 11-5 records, but Miami used the fourth tiebreaker to get into the postseason.

Here is a breakdown of how it happened, the critical difference being a Dolphins victory over the San Diego Chargers in Week 5:

• The first tiebreaker is head-to-head record. The Dolphins and Patriots split, winning on the road and losing at home. The Dolphins won 38-13 in Week 3. The Patriots won 48-28 in Week 12.
• The second tiebreaker is division record. Both finished 4-2, each splitting with the Jets and sweeping the Buffalo Bills.
• The third tiebreaker is record against common opponents. The Dolphins and Patriots each went 11-3.
• The fourth tiebreaker is conference record. The Dolphins went 8-4, while the Patriots went 7-5.

San Diego becomes the deciding factor here.

The Dolphins and Patriots went 0-2 against their uncommon AFC opponents. The Dolphins lost to the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens. The Patriots lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Indianapolis Colts.

So the only discrepancy becomes San Diego. Miami won 17-10 at Dolphin Stadium in Week 5. The next week, the Chargers crushed the Patriots, 30-10, in Qualcomm Stadium in the second game of a two-week West Coast trip.

So in effect, the beat-down the Chargers handed the Patriots in week 6 is what is keeping Billy B. and the New England Patriots at home...wow.

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Quarterbacks Chad Pennington of the Miami Dolphins, Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers and Matt Schaub of the Houston Texans are the finalists for the FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week honors for games played on Dec. 28, while running backs Michael Bush of the Oakland Raiders, Michael Turner of the Atlanta Falcons and LaDainian Tomlinson of the San Diego Chargers are the finalists for the FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week honors.

FedEx Ground - Running Backs

Michael Bush, Oakland Raiders
Bush rushed for 177 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries in the Raiders' 31-24 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Michael Turner, Atlanta Falcons
Turner carried the ball 25 times for 208 yards and one touchdown in the Falcons' 31-27 win over the St. Louis Rams.

LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers
Tomlinson scored three touchdowns and rushed for 96 yards on 14 carries as the Chargers beat the division rival Denver Broncos, 52-21, to win the AFC West.

Go vote at NFL.com/FedEx

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A big reason the San Diego Chargers were able to turn their year around and win the AFC West has been the stellar play of the defense in the second half of the season. The Chargers have made significant improvements under new defensive coordinator Ron Rivera. Credit his schemes for helping the Chargers create turnovers and limiting big plays in the passing game. Below are some statistics demonstrating the defense's improvement under Rivera:

COTTRELL
Defensive output under Cottrell:
199 points allowed, 2973 yards allowed, 17 sacks, 10 turnovers

WEEK 1 POINTS 26 YARDS 388 SACKS 1 TURN 1
WEEK 2 POINTS 39 YARDS 486 SACKS 1 TURN 1
WEEK 3 POINTS 29 YARDS 308 SACKS 3 TURN 4
WEEK 4 POINTS 18 YARDS 323 SACKS 6 TURN 2
WEEK 5 POINTS 17 YARDS 390 SACKS 2 TURN 1
WEEK 6 POINTS 10 YARDS 299 SACKS 4 TURN 1
WEEK 7 POINTS 23 YARDS 370 SACKS 0 TURN 0
WEEK 8 POINTS 37 YARDS 409 SACKS 0 TURN 0

AVERAGES: 25 points, 372 yards allowed


WEEK 9 - BYE, Cottrell fired

RIVERA
Defensive output under Cottrell:
148 points allowed, 2626 yards allowed, 9 sacks, 14 turnovers


WEEK 10 POINTS 19 YARDS 339 SACKS 1 TURN 0
WEEK 11 POINTS 11 YARDS 410 SACKS 2 TURN 0
WEEK 12 POINTS 23 YARDS 341 SACKS 1 TURN 1
WEEK 13 POINTS 22 YARDS 348 SACKS 0 TURN 3
WEEK 14 POINTS 07 YARDS 163 SACKS 3 TURN 4
WEEK 15 POINTS 21 YARDS 277 SACKS 0 TURN 1
WEEK 16 POINTS 24 YARDS 342 SACKS 2 TURN 3
WEEK 17 POINTS 21 YARDS 406 SACKS 0 TURN 2

AVERAGES: 19 points, 328 yards allowed

"Ron has done a good job. I think he's done a real good job. Our guys have responded to the situation. Sometimes circumstances change and you don't get the result you want. It's a credit to Ron and our defensive staff and the way our players have responded to what we've asked them to do." Head Coach Norv Turner

Rivera's defense has given up less yards and less points than Cottrell's defense. With Rivera calling the plays, the Chargers have generated more turnovers and have not given up more than 24 points to a team. In fact, Rivera's defense averages 19 points allowed per game, versus Cottrell's 25 points per game.

I certainly hope the San Diego Chargers are putting the final touches on a new contract for Ron Rivera, as he has undoubtedly earned it.

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The AFC West title is on the line tonight in San Diego when the Chargers host the Broncos at Qualcomm Stadium.

Consider this post an open thread - feel free to drop in your takes from the game whenever you'd like. Lets get some discussion going...

Week 17 - Dec. 28 Broadcast (on NBC) and Web broadcast begins at 5:15 p.m. Pacific. To watch the interactive web broadcast, go to NFL.com