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by Digger

San Diego Chargers (4-7) fans must be sick to their stomach's after suffering thru another gut wrenching defeat. Sunday night's 23-20 last second loss to Indianapolis (7-4) was San Diego's sixth defeat of the year by 7 or less points. It also marked their 4th loss of 3 or less. It gets worse... four losses when leading or tied within the final 2:00 to play.

Head Coach Norv Turner's team was predicted by many to dominate AFC West play. Experts also picked SD as an odds on favorite to reach the AFC Championship Game. After a 3-1 pre-season, these guys seemed ready to play until drowning in NFL quicksand.

Anyone who remembers a movie starring Gene Hackman and Keannu Reeves, The Replacements, might recognize the term "Quicksand". Reeves character describes quicksand as: "Ok lets say your playing and you think everything is going fine until one thing goes wrong..... and then another and another but the harder you fight back the deeper you sink till you can't move, can't breathe because your in over your head like quicksand."

That statement sums up the Chargers almost season. 4th quarter football has become quicksand to San Diego. Sunday's game saw SD claw back from a 20-10 deficit. On the game tying drive, after an unsuccessful 3rd down try, a yet to be identified player or coach called timeout with the game clock running instead of letting time tick off. Norv Turner was visibly livid saying one of those little not made for tv words over and over while wearing out the sidelines. The Chargers were granted a timeout with around 1:36 to play before kicking the game tying field goal. Peyton Manning promptly marched his Colts down field for the game winner as time expired.

It all began in their very first game (team schedule). SD was up 24-19 with 2 ticks left to play. Opposing Carolina QB Jake Delhomme threw the game winner. 26-24 final score. 0-1.

SD tried to shake it off week 2 in Denver. An early game questionable fumble went against the Bolts wasn't reviewable because of official review equipment failure (BOGUS). Denver retained possession setting up their first td and 7-0 lead. In the games final moments with SD up 38-31, Denver QB Cutler scrambled out of the pocket and lost the football. The ref incorrectly ruled incomplete pass after it was clearly a fumble to everyone except those wearing zebra costumes. Denver maintained possession and scored woth :24 remaining, trailing 38-37. SD then lost when Denver Coach Shanahan gambled and won on a successful 2 point conversion. Chargers lose 39-38. 0-2. Oh yeah, for good measure the refs went up to Coach Turner when the teams were leaving the field telling him "We messed up!" Too little too late.

Week 5. SD had regrouped to 2-2 (or so they thougth) playing in Miami. 4th quarter, SD trailing 17-10, LT gets stuffed by a Miami goal line stand from 4th and 1. SD never got closer than Miami's 46. Quicksand re-appears.

Week 8. SD travels to London vs New Orleans. More headaches. Trailing 37-32, SD marches downfield on a potential game winning drive. QB Rivers gets intercepted with 1:09 left to go. 3-5.

Week 11 in Pittsburgh. Leading 10-8, SD couldn't stop a final Steelers drive. Give up game losing field goal with :15 left. 11-10 defeat is the first ever in NFL history. At 4-6, quicksand is now neck high.

Week 12. Start writing epitaph's for San Diego. Scratching and clawing their way back into the game. Losing it because of bad clock management 23-20 on the final snap.

It's been a bad dream for this team. Way too many close defeats. This could easily be a 10-2 team. Bad breaks all year long including at least two games where poor decision making by NFL referee's figured into game results. Poor coaching, poor ball control, pathetic clock management, injuries to key players, refs and near misses. It's a game of inches and these guys have been on the just missed side all year long.

I wonder how many bettor's have become sick when winning tickets become losers within seconds?

This type of season either strengthens or completely destroys teams. Norv Turner has done it again. Taken over a team on the verge of potential stardom... and wrecked it.

Will the front office panic and trade off players? Fire Turner? It'll be a long off season of reflection for an entire organization committed to winning.

San Diego's 2008 demise ranks high on my list of NFL teams who were expected to win. One of the leagues most talented teams will be sitting at home watching the playoffs on tv instead of participating...