A December to Remember

Well it’s December, and the Chargers, undefeated when the snow starts to fly, have suddenly lost their bluster. Until last week, the Bolts won 14 straight games during the month of December…we’re talking 5 years here, and I don’t know if it’s been all the holiday cheer, the  egg nog, or the mistletoe…but until now, these Chargers simply did not lose during this month.

Last week, the Oakland Raiders beat the Chargers badly with a combination of tough running, pressure from the defensive front and solid cornerback play. Understanding this, the Chief’s defense, led by Derrick Johnson (69 solo tackles) and Tamba Hali (10 sacks) will do their best to get after Philip Rivers; and with a must-win game for the home team, Rivers will have to shine in order to get this one done. 

With a let down last week, Rivers should be on top of his game; however, Kansas City has a better rushing attack than the team that gouged the Chargers for 251 yards last Sunday. Oakland ran 52 times, a number Kansas City will certainly shoot for, since the team made the flight without their starting quarterback Matt Cassel, who is recovering from Wednesday's emergency appendectomy. 

Brodie Croyle, 0-9 as a starter, will be under center this Sunday, which may lead to the Chiefs running the ball more frequently; a recipe the Raiders used to sweep the Chargers this season. In addition, with the effective combination of Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones, the Chiefs will not hesitate to pound the Charger’s defensive front with a barrage of running plays. 

Jones, a banger and smasher will see opportunities to pound his way into the Chargers’ second level; Charles, a slasher, will undoubtedly use every touch of the ball to take advantage of his speed and attempt to turn short runs into big plays.

Averaging 175 yards per game and an average of 4.7 yards per carry, a league high this year, the Chiefs will keep their offense grounded and allow Charles (6.2 yard per carry), to take advantage of the Charger’s recent woes at stopping the run game. 

The Chargers, only allowing 95.2 yards on the ground per game, have had recent difficulties stopping teams with power rushing games; allowing 111 rushing yards or more. This shows their fall from AFC West royalty, with one of the best offenses in the league, to long shots of making the playoffs.

With the threat of not securing their fifth straight AFC West title and possibly losing any hope of seeing post season action, the Chargers’ only choice is to follow their leader (Philip Rivers), whose only lost in December came last week against Oakland. Rivers, who hasn’t lost a December game since taking over for Drew Brees, after Brees went down with a shoulder injury in 2005, must lead his team to another win in December, like all those Decembers past. 

Knowing how to win and winning in December are two different things and we will see if the setbacks the Chargers have faced this season will continue to haunt them, or will we see Rivers work some more of his holiday magic.