Chargers are in, AFC West sends in 3 (who would have thought?)

[Jules]

But, I am not sure how well it bodes for them after seeing them get all they could handle by KC backups? My God......

 

I am not sure I can remember seeing a team rest key starters and give a desperate team such a tough game.

 

[PrincetonTiger]

It could be a short stay for SD

[Fx Stryker]

Pittsburgh was so close. I heard a roaring "Noooooooo"

[coltsfansince65]

They always play us tough. Who do the Chargers face first?

[Susie Q]

Well you never know everyone starts off with 0.  Let the playoffs begin.

[jvan1973]

They always play us tough. Who do the Chargers face first?

Bengals

[coltsfansince65]

Thanks. I just saw that on CBS. They will be one & done I think.

[coltsfansince65]

Bengals will make swift work of the Chargers.

[pacolts56]

Bengals

I hope its minus 20 degrees in Cincy next week.

[Dustin]

The last 4 SB winners faced the Eagles in their home opener.

The Chargers faced the Eagles in their home-opener this year.

[BOTT]

The last 4 SB winners faced the Eagles in their home opener.

The Chargers faced the Eagles in their home-opener this year.

Guess that streak ends at 4

[oldunclemark]

I like SD's chances to win at Cincy..

 

...Andy Dalton is just a little better than average and the 'D; is shorthanded

[CR91]

chargers win. the bengals havent won a playoff game since the 80s

[IcEWoLF]

This is the 3rd or 4th time the Chargers make the playoffs barely...somehow they just make it...that use to be the case with Norv Turner...have a crappy season, and then turn things around the last month.

[CR91]

the panthers winning the south and getting a bye week is more surprising

[Jules]

chargers win. the bengals havent won a playoff game since the 80s

 

There is a first time for everything, people used to say we would never win the big one either or what not.

[Jules]

The last 4 SB winners faced the Eagles in their home opener.

The Chargers faced the Eagles in their home-opener this year.

 

And the last 3 times the Colts and Chiefs both made the playoffs and played each other the Colts have gone to at least the AFCCG.

[coltsfansince65]

I like SD's chances to win at Cincy..

 

...Andy Dalton is just a little better than average and the 'D; is shorthanded

I don't give them much of a chance at all. Dalton turns the ball over at an alarming rate & cinci hasn't lost at home yet this year. Plus Cinci has scored 30+ in their last 4-5 games. 40+ in 2 or 3 of them.

[coltsfansince65]

chargers win. the bengals havent won a playoff game since the 80s

Bengals haven't lost at home yet this year.

[buffalo34]

Well midway through the season my thinking was that if any AFC division would send 3 teams to the playoffs it would be the AFC West. Lost faith in that near the end of the season but right now I wouldn't want to face the Chargers in the postseason the way they're playing.

[HarryTheCat]

The best part of it is that they gave Pittsburgh no place to go but home!

[GoColts8818]

Oh man as if life couldn't any worse for Steeler Fans Mike Pereira points this out...

 

Mike Pereira ‏@MikePereira 1h

Hate to add full to the fire, but some of my followers have pointed out that SD was in an illegal defensive formation on the missed FG

 

Mike Pereira ‏@MikePereira 1h

They are correct. SD had more than 6 players on one side of the center on the line of scrimmage. That is a new rule and a foul.

[pacolts56]

Oh man as if life couldn't any worse for Steeler Fans Mike Pereira points this out...

 

Mike Pereira ‏@MikePereira 1h

Hate to add full to the fire, but some of my followers have pointed out that SD was in an illegal defensive formation on the missed FG

 

Mike Pereira ‏@MikePereira 1h

They are correct. SD had more than 6 players on one side of the center on the line of scrimmage. That is a new rule and a foul.

Yep.....

 

But whether anyone likes the Steelers or not....the integrity of the game is beginning to be compromised by this, and NFL officiating mistakes are beginning to take on the appearance of either narcotic and alcohol-induced incompetence OR perhaps some good ol' fashioned "wiseguy" action. <<gasp!!>>

 

Let's not forget the "25 second clock" that made its debut in the Dallas-Philly game as well.

 

I guess the NFL will trot out that character Dino "the boss" Blandino tomorrow to apologize for it all and teams will go on hoping that next week its not their turn to get screwed.

[chad72]

The last 4 SB winners faced the Eagles in their home opener.

The Chargers faced the Eagles in their home-opener this year.

 

Yep, to add to it, the last 7 SB winners faced the NFC East and the Patriots (2006 Colts, 2007 Giants, 2008 Steelers, 2009 Saints, 2010 Packers, 2011 Giants, 2012 Ravens).

 

This year, that is the Broncos. We will soon find out which one prevails, !!!

[Girlzarefanstoo]

I was looking for a post I read on the chargers forum this week but with the volume of posts I can't find it. It was a comparison about how we played against the top teams compared to bottom teams this year. There was a HUGE swing to the better against strong teams - the opposite of past seasons.

Personally I was really concerned when we were playing their scrubs. No film, guys highly motivated, playing for a spot on the team next year.

We caught some breaks -a lot of breaks, for once! Bad calls/non-calls happen every game and relatively even out. The whole field goal thing went against us and cost us a game vs. Houston which if we had won would have made this outcome irrelevant. I loved that as bad as the game was going there was no quit.

Good teams win even when they play badly, the flat out find a way to win.

I'm glad we had a bad game/wake up call without losing. No matter what happens this was a bonus.

[BOTT]

Yep.....

 

But whether anyone likes the Steelers or not....the integrity of the game is beginning to be compromised by this, and NFL officiating mistakes are beginning to take on the appearance of either narcotic and alcohol-induced incompetence OR perhaps some good ol' fashioned "wiseguy" action. <<gasp!!>>

 

Let's not forget the "25 second clock" that made its debut in the Dallas-Philly game as well.

 

I guess the NFL will trot out that character Dino "the boss" Blandino tomorrow to apologize for it all and teams will go on hoping that next week its not their turn to get screwed.

While I agree the refs have been horrible this year, as a fan I have a hard tome to get worked up over missed calls like that.

[pacolts56]

While I agree the refs have been horrible this year, as a fan I have a hard tome to get worked up over missed calls like that.

I know, Blood.....it's just an observation. But there has been documented...and criminally prosecuted.... gambling-related monkey business in boxing, basketball and baseball in the past.

 

The NFL dwarfs all of them combined in gross revenue, and probably gambling revenue as well. Given the $$$ involved, I rule out nothing.

 

If the NFL wants to avoid the appearance of any of that taking place with these critical but pretty basic blown calls and play clock screw-ups...they should just video review everything. If nothing else, it elevates the NFL's level of accountability for officiating to the highest degree possible.

 

I appreciate having the human element of refs as we have them now....and they make honest mistakes. But any possibility of unsavory reasons for bad calls needs to be erased because its starting to look THAT bad.

 

The lame excuse from the league in the past has been the delay it creates during the game...as if that's more distasteful then a game, and in this case a probable playoff berth turned over a blown call.

 

After all, what are NFL TV viewers gonna do....change the channel to Shawshank reruns or ESPN's bowling tournament?