San Diego Chargers 2009 Playoffs
With an AFL Championship back in 1965 as their lone championship, the Chargers franchise has been searching for the ultimate justification for the past few seasons. The 49-26 shellacking the team took at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl in 1994 only makes that desire for a championship season in the modern era of football all the more powerful. The team has come close. In 2004 the 12-4 AFC West champs took one step into the playoffs and lost to the New York Jets 20-17 in overtime in the wild card match up. The team has grown with LaDainian Tomlinson proving year in and year out that he is the best running back in the NFL and with Philip Rivers taking over for when Drew Brees left after 2006. The Chargers could not handle the Patriots in the divisional round of the playoffs in 2006 after going an astonishing 14-2. Last season a slow start marred the record, but the team finished the regular season strong and fought their way to the AFC Championship game before just losing to the Patriots 21-12. With plenty more playoff tickets likely to come in the future the talented team could easily find themselves in the Super Bowl again very soon.
This season at Qualcomm Stadium the Chargers season looks pretty good. Quarterback Philip Rivers has plenty of targets with tight end Antonio Gates and receivers Chris Chambers and Vincent Jackson. With LaDainian Tomlinson in the backfield the offense always has a chance. The line has proven it can hold strong and the young players have proven they have come of age and are ready for the primes of their career. Chargers playoff tickets are likely this season and for a few more with this kind of a squad.
San Diego Chargers Background
The defense looked good with Shawne Merriman leading the charge, but his season ending injury leaves the defense looking for a leader. Shaun Phillips will get to fill in for Merriman this season, but the rest of the unit is pretty good too. Quentin Jammer and Antonio Cromartie proved themselves in the playoffs lasts season and the defensive line is pretty set with Igor Olshansky, Jamal Williams, and Luis Castillo. San Diego’s linebackers will sorely miss Merriman, but the team defense is good enough to make fans still think about Chargers playoff tickets this year. The injury to Tom Brady takes the Patriots out of the equation for the best team in the league, but the loss of Merriman does not do the same in San Diego. The postseason is almost guaranteed in San Diego, the question is how far can they go?