NFL
Chargers’ season is sliding away
Bolts on verge of elimination from playoff race
ALAMEDA, Calif. — Their season began with a last-play loss to the Carolina Panthers. Seven days later, an erroneous ruling by an official cost the San Diego Chargers in a 39-38 loss to the Denver Broncos.
That was only the start. In all, there have been eight losses by a combined 34 points, with only one of those by more than seven points. Somewhere, some place, former Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer must be giggling over what has befallen the team that fired him after a 14-2 showing in 2006.
So it is that the sexy pick as the likely AFC representative for this season’s Super Bowl has fallen to the brink of elimination. It is the Raiders who Thursday night get the first crack at capping coach Norv Turner’s disastrous season.
A Chargers loss and a Broncos victory Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs is all that stands between the Chargers and a map showing the way toward the 2009 season. The Chargers played in the AFC Championship Game a little more than 10 months ago.
“You can make the case for things not going our way,” Chargers tight end Antonio Gates said, “but I’m a firm believer that you are what you are. We are a 4-8 team. We have to find a way to get it turned around. That’s what championship teams do. They deal with adversity. They accept constructive criticism when things aren’t going their way.”
Things haven’t gone the Chargers’ way since training camp, when the two torn ligaments that standout outside linebacker Shawne Merriman suffered in a game last December worsened.
Merriman played in San Diego’s regular-season opener but opted for season-ending surgery after not feeling right in that game.
“You’d be crazy to deny that,” Raiders coach Tom Cable said, when asked if it’s easier to game plan against a Chargers defense minus its top player. “He’s a tremendous player. Not having him there, it helps your planning a little bit.”
Turner refuses to use Merriman’s injury as an excuse. However, Gates said Merriman’s loss is one the Chargers haven’t been able to overcome.
“When you have a guy out there who is a game-changer, teams have to definitely scheme him, do different things, put packages in just to stop him or slow him down,” Gates said. “I don’t really feel like you can stop a guy in this league who has the capabilities that Merriman has.”
As a result, the Chargers’ defense isn’t the same force it was during Merriman’s first three seasons, when he recorded an NFL-best 39z sacks and played in three Pro Bowls.
•••
Around the league
• The Cowboys put Adam “Pacman” Jones on their 53-
man roster Tuesday after the NFL lifted the cornerback’s suspension. Jones missed six games for violating the league’s player conduct policy.
• Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub should return for Houston’s Sunday game at Green Bay, barring any setbacks in the recovery of his injured left knee. The Texans have gone 2-2 with Sage Rosenfels at QB.
• Cleveland quarterback Brady Quinn has elected to have surgery on his fractured right index finger, which he initially broke Nov. 17 at Buffalo and then made worse by playing in the Browns’ game a week later against Houston.
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