DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS ; Getting to Know You
Say San Diego Chargers and three things come to mind – MVP running back LaDainian Tomlinson, steroidal linebacker Shawne Merriman, and uber-tight end Antonio Gates. There’s obviously more to the AFC’s No. 1 seed than three players, but they’re a bit of a mystery to the average fan on the opposite coast.
Even Patriots quarterback Tom Brady admitted, “I don’t think we know a whole lot about this team besides LaDainian and Merriman.”
Consider this the Cliff’s Notes version of the 14-2 AFC West champs.
1. So who beat these guys?
The Chargers lost, 16-13, to the Ravens in Week 3 and, 30-27, to the Chiefs in Week 6. They haven’t lost since. They led the first game 13-9 with 34 seconds left before Steve McNair won it by throwing a 10-yard touchdown pass. They overcame a 17-point deficit in the second one, only to fall on Lawrence Tynes’ 53-yard field goal with six seconds left. That means they’re six points and about 40 seconds away from a perfect season.
2. More than Merriman.
As disruptive and athletic as the All-Pro Merriman can be – he recorded 17 sacks in 12 games, for goodness sake – All Pro nose tackle Jamal Williams and outside linebacker Shaun Phillips aren’t far behind. The former is considered a hair better than Patriots standout Vince Wilfork in the 3-4, which is saying something, since Wilfork has dominated. The 6-foot-3, 348-pounder finished third on the Chargers with 69 tackles. As for Phillips, he’s hell on opposing right tackles, who often don’t receive tight end help, since Merriman’s a load on the other side. Phillips finished with 11.5 sacks.
3. They start a rookie left tackle
As astounding as Tomlinson’s 31 touchdowns are, a more impressive number may be zero, which is the number of holding penalties rookie Marcus McNeill has been flagged for on the left side protecting quarterback Philip Rivers. The second-round pick out of Auburn (No. 50 overall) also only allowed five sacks and was penalized just five times overall, earning six votes in Offensive Rookie of the Year balloting.
4. Philip Rivers was worth keeping.
The Chargers were pilloried for allowing free agent Drew Brees to walk via free agency while sticking with the untested Rivers, but their gamble paid off handsomely. He threw for over 3,300 yards and 22 touchdowns while throwing just nine interceptions. His quarterback rating of 92.0 placed fourth in the league. Rivers is considered a natural-born leader. He’s fiery and emotional on the field, but respectful off it. If this season is any indication, it’s clear who got the best of the 2004 draft day trade that brought Rivers west and sent Eli Manning to the Giants.
5. The Chargers don’t throw much to their wideouts.
This is the Gates-Tomlinson show. Only two wide receivers caught touchdowns this year – Vincent Jackson (6) and Malcolm Floyd (3), and Floyd is on injured reserve. Gates led the squad with 71 receptions, followed by LT’s 56. The leading receivers at wideout are Eric Parker (48-659) and Keenan McCardell (36-437). The Chargers like to pick on teams underneath with their Big Two.
6. Marty Schottenheimer’s playoff reputation is deserved.
The man has won 200 games in the regular season, but he’s just 5- 12 in 12 trips to the postseason, with his last victory coming in 1993. Since then, Marty Ball has produced first-round exits four straight times, including two years ago, when the 12-4 Chargers fell to the upstart Jets. It seems the better a Schottenheimer-coached team’s chances, the worse its performance – four times he has taken 12-plus win teams to the playoffs and only one of them managed a postseason victory. He is 7-1 against the Patriots in his career, however.
KEY STATISTICS
TEAM OFFENSE:
30.8 points per game (1st in NFL); 365.0 yards per game (4th); 5.7 yards per play (4th); 43.2 third-down percentage (5th); 15 giveaways (1st).
TEAM DEFENSE:
301.6 yards allowed per game (10th in NFL); 18.9 points allowed per game (7th in NFL).
INDIVIDUAL:
Philip Rivers: 284-460-3,388; 61.7 completion percentage; 22 TDs; 9 INTs; 28 sacks.
LaDainian Tomlinson: 348-1,815; 5.2 yards per carry; 28 rushing TDs; 3 receiving TDs.
Antonio Gates: 71 catches; 924 yards; 13.0 average; 9 TDs.
Quentin Jammer: 4 interceptions
Nate Kaeding: 26-for-29 field goals; 7-for-9 from 40-49 yards; long of 54.
Donnie Edwards: 142 tackles (99 solo)
Shawne Merriman: 16.5 sacks
COMPILED BY JOHN TOMASE
STAFF GRAPHIC
(c) 2007 Boston Herald. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.