Well, I guess it was bound to happen some time: the Chargers’ luck ran out. After coming back from a 4-8 record, to beating the Broncos and Colts at home, to an MVP performance by their punter and the smallest man in the league, the luck finally, completely, ran out. What do I mean? You’ll see in a second. As always, View From The Q contains uncredited and unappreciated wit and witticism from Ryan “Leaky Pipes” Thies, Paula “My Mom” Anderson, Beef “Beef” Pallotta, Matt “The Kid” Guardabascio, JJ “Doing Some Cooking And Coming Over At Halftime” Fiddler, and Shar “My Wife” Higa.
1. I knew things weren’t looking good when the first three games concluded with the home team walking off the field in disgust. A trend? Yes, but every trend has its rubber band snapback, and unfortunately, the Bolts were caught in its path. In other words, we were the exception that proved the rule. Someone had to play the fourth of four games and get the short end, and it was the Chargers.
2. Among all the other reasons we wanted this win (hosting and attending an AFC championship ranking highest on this list), it would have created the following scenario: three bird-logo’d teams made the championship games. What’s a bird’s worst enemy? Power lines. See what I mean?
3. Seriously, three bird teams, of five in the league, are in the championship games. Isn’t that a little weird?
4. I admit it was hard to feel bad about this loss…because of the 4-8 comeback, and the wins over Denver and Indy, I felt like we were not only playing with house money, but playing with house money after paying off our credit cards and putting five g’s in the bank to boot. We already notched the biggest midseason turnaround in league history, and got a playoff game at home to boot.
5. I still think we would have won that game if it had been anywhere but Pittsburgh. Of this season’s playoff teams they have, after the Chargers, the most experienced playoff fans in the league.
6. Few game notes, although at the end of a 22-game journey (including, for some reason, preseason games) it seems odd: 15 yards rushing won’t win probably any game. Nor will losing the turnover battle by two on the road, nor will playing a game in the snow when your only hope for a spark is a slippery speedster, nor will getting one measly sack on a QB who will pick you apart with time, nor will backing off the creative playcalling we utilized in big wins the last two games, nor will failing to possess the ball for thirty seconds in the third quarter, nor will allowing five TDs, nor will…and so on. Needless to say, not the exit performance this season deserved.
7. Is it wrong that the loss hurts less because it’s to such a stand-up team, and because it creates a Ravens/Steelers AFC championship game? Because if it is, I don’t want to be right.
8. Maybe I still want to be right.
9. As wacky as last season was, and as promising as the playoff run was, and as awesome/horrible as the 2006 season was (awesome for 14-2, horrible for 0-1 in January), this has to be the most memorable season in Bolts recent history, right? I mean, between the turnaround, the Jekyll/Hyde aspect, and THE TURNAROUND, I know I’ll never forget it.
10. I think we should rest LT till next January. Keep him in a hyperbaric chamber until then.
11. This week I think proves for all time that having a bye week is always a bad idea (our game was the exception, of course). Weeks off are like a cancer to offenses—their rhythm gets out of sync, and what looks like rest on some players looks more like rust on others. We’re talking 12 turnovers between the Giants, Panthers, and Titans. TWELVE. Your best bet has to be to come in as a hot wild card or low divisional seed, and make a run. Or be the Steelers.
12. That concludes this season’s broadcast of View From the Q. Had a ton of fun with the column, and hope you’ve enjoyed reading them! One more massive thanks to my cohorts and cronies—keep the faith this offseason. Oh, and resign Darren Sproles.