Gameday: Chargers vs Patriots

NFL.com: Chargers at Patriots | Your Take

01/17/08 - Notebook: LT returns to practice
01/17/08 - Volek in familiar position
01/16/08 - Jackson emerges as a playmaker
01/16/08 - Rivers talks, plays with confidence
01/16/08 - Humphries to serve as honory captain
01/15/08 - Cromartie loses a touchdown, gains stature
01/14/08 - LT feeling good, Rivers and Gates day-to-day
01/14/08 - A whole new ballgame

Transcripts:
01/17/08 - Transcripts: Chargers Press Conference Thursday
01/17/08 - Transcripts: Patriots Press Conference Thursday
01/16/08 - Transcripts: Chargers Conference Call on Wednesday
01/16/08 - Transcripts: Chargers Wednesday Press Conference
01/16/08 - Transcripts: Patriots Wednesday Press Conference
01/15/08 - Transcripts: Patriots Tuesday Press Conference
01/14/08 - Transcripts: Chargers Monday Press Conference

Fresh off a hard-fought 28-24 win over the defending Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts in the last NFL game ever played in the RCA Dome, the San Diego Chargers, winners of eight in a row, will travel to Foxborough, Massachusetts to take on the three-time World Champion and undefeated New England Patriots in the 2007 AFC Championship Game. The Chargers and Patriots will play for the Lamar Hunt Trophy and the right to represent the AFC in Super Bowl XLII in Glendale, Arizona.

Kickoff from Gillette Stadium is set for 3:05 p.m. EST on Sunday, Jan. 20.

The Chargers and Patriots have a long and storied history in both the regular season and the postseason. It goes back to 1963 when the Chargers defeated the Boston Patriots, 51-10, in the 1963 AFL Championship Game. Decades later it continued, with the Chargers defeating the Pats in 2002 and again in 2005 during the regular season the year after New England won the Super Bowl. The latter, a 41-17 win in Foxboro in 2005, ended New England’s NFL-record 21-game home winning streak. The most recent memorable game in the series however is the Patriots’ 24-21 win in the 2006 Divisional Playoffs that knocked the top-seeded Chargers from the playoffs after the Bolts had won a team-record 14 games during the regular season.

This year, the Chargers finished the regular season 11-5 and defeated the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Wild Card Playoffs and the Colts in the Divisional Round to reach Sunday’s AFC Championship Game. San Diego will play in the Championship Game for the first time since 1994. Coincidentally, 1994 was also the last time that the Bolts finished the regular season 11-5. That year, the Bolts defeated Miami in the Divisional Playoffs and they beat Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship Game before advancing to face the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIX in Miami, Florida.

While the Patriots come in undefeated (17-0), the Chargers have won eight straight and 12 of their last 14. Their eight-game win streak is the NFL’s second-longest behind New England’s (17) and their 46 wins in the last four years (reg. season) are the third most in the NFL behind only the Patriots (52) and the Colts (51).

WHAT TO LOOK FOR - DEFENSE

• Antonio Cromartie...”Cro,” the Chargers’ 2006 first-round draft choice out of Florida State, finished the year as the NFL’s leader with 10 interceptions...Cromartie, who had a career-high three picks off Indianapolis’ Peyton Manning in an NBC Sunday Night Football game on Nov. 11 at Qualcomm Stadium, picked off Manning again in last Sunday’s Divisional Playoff Game at the RCA Dome...he returned that pick 89 yards for an apparent touchdown, but a holding penalty behind the return negated the score...Cromartie still posted a 30-yard return following the pick...including that SNF game against the Colts, Cromartie had three multi-pick games during the season.
• Cromartie had another big defensive play in the Indy game, forcing a fumble while tackling Marvin Harrison after a catch...safety Marlon McCree recovered the fumble and the Bolts’ offense responded with a 78-yard touchdown drive that tied the game, 7-7.
• Thanks in part to their prowess in forcing turnovers, San Diego’s defense led the NFL in opponent passer rating (70.0) during the regular season...it was the first time the Chargers have ever led the NFL in that category...the Bolts will be challenged on Sunday by the Patriots’  Tom Brady, whose 123.0 passer rating when the teams met in September was the second-highest posted against San Diego’s defense this season...the Bolts’ defense has had good success against Brady in recent meetings, holding him to a 57.6 rating in last year’s AFC Playoff Game, a 78.1 rating when the Chargers and Pats met at Gillette Stadium in 2005 and an 83.3 rating in the ’02 game at Qualcomm Stadium...the Bolts won two of those three games...Brady’s career rating vs. the Chargers (85.0) is nearly eight points below his career passer rating (92.9), which happens to rank fourth all-time in NFL history.
• Sunday’s game features the NFL’s top two ball-hawking defenses...the Chargers (+24) and Patriots (+18) ranked 1st and 3rd, respectively, in turnover margin during the regular season...it was the first time since 1993 that the Chargers led the NFL in turnover ratio...that trend has continued in the playoffs as the Chargers’ +3 turnover margin ranks first, ahead of the Patriots’ +2 ledger.
• During the regular season, the Bolts also ranked first in takeaways (48) and interceptions (30)...it was the first time a Chargers team ever led the NFL in either category...the Chargers scored 128 pts off turnovers in the regular season, second-most in the NFL...San Diego’s 48 takeaways in 2007 were the most in the NFL since Baltimore had 49 in 2000.
• In winning eight in a row, the Chargers have held five of their eight opponents to less than 300 yards of total offense, including Tennessee (248 yards) in the Wild Card Playoffs on Jan. 6.
• The Chargers are playing some of the best run defense in the NFL today...dating back to their game against Indianapolis on Nov. 11, the Chargers have allowed five rushing touchdowns (in 10 games) and no team has rushed for more than 131 yards...in those 10 games, the Chargers are 9-1 and they are only allowing 87.5 ypg on the ground...New England averaged 115.6 yards per game on the ground this season but in four of their last seven games, they’ve failed to rush for more than 100...in the first meeting this season, the Chargers were outrushed by the Patriots, 144-52.
• Shawne Merriman has eight sacks in the Chargers’ last eight games...what initially was ruled a sack in the Chargers’ win over Indianapolis on Sunday, was later changed to a six-yard tackle for loss...Merriman finished the Colts’ game with two tackles for loss.
• In his last two games against the Patriots, Merriman has turned in big efforts...he recorded two sacks and a tackle for loss when the teams met this September and he had a third sack in last season’s AFC Divisional Playoff game...Merriman’s multi-sack game against the Patriots in September was one of four he recorded this season...three of those four were in road games (at New England, at Kansas City and at Tennessee).
• Since the Chargers selected Merriman in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft, his 39.5 sacks and the Chargers’ 149 team sacks are the most in the NFL...Merriman has led the team in sacks each of his three seasons in San Diego: (10 in 2005; 17 in 2006 and 12.5 in 2007)...as a team this year, the Chargers had the fifth-most sacks in the league (42)...last year, the Bolts led the NFL and had the second-most in team history (60).
• A native of Wareham, Massachusetts, linebacker Stephen Cooper is one of the key cogs in the Chargers’ defense...Cooper has recorded  double-digit tackle totals in 15 of the Bolts’ 18 games during the regular season and playoffs...”Coop” racked up 12 stops when the Chargers and Pats met in September and last Sunday at the RCA Dome, he racked up a team-high 16 (according to press box statistics) vs. the Colts...Cooper was the Bolts’ team leader this season with 179 tackles.
• Defensive end Igor Olshansky capped off the finest season of his career with his first-ever interception in the ’07 season finale at Oakland...he finished the regular season with a career-high and defensive-line-leading 69 tackles, 19 more than his previous high (50) from last season...he also set a career-high with 3.5 sacks and tied Shaun Phillips for the team lead with three forced fumbles.
• Safety Clinton Hart finished the regular season on a roll with two interceptions in the season’s final three games...he had a potential sixth interception just barely get away from him in the Bolts’ Wild Card Playoff game against the Titans...Hart had a career year for the Bolts, finishing the season with career highs in tackles (109) and interceptions (five), and also recording his first sack since 2003...Hart recorded his 100th tackle in the regular-season finale at Oakland.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR – SPECIAL TEAMS

• Despite being named a first alternate, Mike Scifres had another Pro Bowl-caliber season for the Chargers...his 46.1 average was the second-highest ever recorded in team history behind Darren Bennett (46.2 in 2000).
• Scifres is coming off a monster playoff game at Indianapolis that saw him set a new team record by averaging 59.0 yards per punt...it shattered the previous mark of 54.5 yards set by Darren Bennett against the Colts in 1995...Scifres saved his best for last, hitting a postseason team-record 66-yarder with the Bolts backed up at their own 14-yard line and only 1:42 left in the fourth quarter...kicking from his own goal line, Scifres punt was fielded back at the Colts’ 20...it fired up the entire sideline and the defense promptly went out and ended the Colts season on downs four plays later, sending the Chargers to Sunday’s AFC title game in Foxborough.
• All season, Scifres gave opponents a long field to work with, landing 36 of his punts inside the 20, second-most in the NFL...Scifres finished the regular season as the NFL’s third-leading punter in terms of net average (39.6), narrowly missing out on becoming only the second punter in team history to post a season net average of 40.0+...Dennis Partee (40.6 in 1971) is the only punter in team history to finish a season with a net average of 40.0+...Scifres had only 29 punts returned this season, fourth-fewest among the league’s Top 25 punters...six times this season, opponents had either zero or negative punt return yards against the Chargers – Chicago (0), Kansas City (0), Oakland (0), Indy (-5), Baltimore (0), Detroit (0) and Denver (0).
• Scifres punted the ball well the last time the Chargers faced the Patriots in September...he averaged 49.6 yards per punt, his fifth-highest average of the season, but two of his punts did go into the end zone for touchbacks, the most he had in a game this season...the Patriots only returned two of his punts for 13 total yards.
• Scifres has hit at least one 60-yard punt in eight of the Chargers’ last 12 games, including playoffs...he hit a season-long 70 yarder Nov. 25 against Baltimore.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR - OFFENSE

• The San Diego Chargers’ passing game has come to life in the postseason behind the right arm of Philip Rivers and the outstanding hands   of wide receivers Chris Chambers and Vincent Jackson...Rivers comes into Sunday’s AFC Championship Game as the NFL’s fourth-leading passer in the postseason with a rating of 115.7...his counterpart from New England, Tom Brady, is leading the league in postseason passer rating (141.4)...Rivers has thrown for 292 yards (vs. Tennessee) and 264 yards (at Indianapolis) in the playoffs with four touchdowns and a pair of interceptions...his completion percentage is a steady 67%.
• Where Rivers has really shined however is on third downs...he’s 16 of 20 for 264 yards (16.5 yards per completion) with a touchdown for a 135.4 rating, tied with Brady for the NFL lead...last Sunday before he left the Indianapolis game with a knee injury, Rivers made several big third down throws...he completed his first touchdown pass of the game to Jackson on a third-and-eight play and also during that drive, he completed a nine-yarder to “Jax” on a third-and-five and an 18-yarder to Chambers on a third-and-eight...he also got the Chargers out of a huge hole on a third-down play late in the third quarter, hitting Chambers again, this time for 22 yards on a third-and-14 play that set up a 56-yard touchdown catch-and-run by Darren Sproles, which put the Bolts up 21-17.
• Rivers numbers during the Chargers’ eight-game winning streak are sensational...he’s completed 133 of 214 (.621) for 1,656 yards with 14 TDs and only five INTs for a rating of 98.2, nearly 16 points higher than his cumulative season rating (82.4)...Rivers’ career passer rating in the regular season (86.6) is the highest in team history (min. 500 pass attempts).
• Jackson has come up huge for the Chargers in the playoffs, catching touchdown passes in back-to-back games for only the second time in his career...his 14-yard touchdown catch last Sunday in Indianapolis, in which he out-jumped two defenders in the back of the end  zone, gave the Chargers their first points of the game...Jackson, who had his first-career 100-yard game in the Bolts’ Wild Card game against Tennessee, backed it up with a 93-yard effort last Sunday at the RCA Dome...his 12 catches in the postseason lead the NFL and he (207) and Chambers (188) rank 1-2 in receiving yards.
• Just like Rivers, Jackson too has been at his best on third down...he’s racked up an NFL-leading six third down catches for 113 yards (18.8 ypc)...his TD on Sunday against the Colts was on a third-and-eight play and during that drive, he helped move the chains earlier with a nice nine-yard grab on a third-and-five.
• For only the second time this year, a pair of Chargers’ wide receivers had TD catches in the same game as Chambers backed up Jackson’s TD catch in Indy with one of his own...while Jax beat two defenders in the air, Chambers beat two down the sideline, catching a 30-yard TD pass from Rivers on the opening drive of the third quarter...it was Chambers’ third TD catch in the last four weeks.
• Chambers is very familiar with the Patriots, having faced New England twice a year during his first six seasons with the Dolphins...his 48 catches vs. N.E. were the most he had against AFC East opponents as he scored five TDs and registered 493 yards, averaging 10.3 yards per catch.
• Chambers has at least two catches in every game since joining the Chargers in an Oct. trade from Miami and the Bolts are 10-2 since his  arrival...he’s averaged 16.9 ypc since joining the Bolts and in his playoff debut in the Wild Card round against Tennessee, he had a monster, six-catch, 121-yard effort to lead all players...he went over the 100-yard mark on a 39-yard catch on a third-and-10 play during the touchdown drive in which the Bolts scored their final points in the 17-6 win.
• Chambers’ 44 catches since he joined the Bolts (prior to Week 7) are the most on the team.
• LaDainian Tomlinson is looking for his second-consecutive 100-yard playoff game against the Patriots...last January, Tomlinson went for 123 yards and a pair of TDs in New England’s 24-21 win over the Bolts...Tomlinson has faced the Patriots five times during his career and  fared well, rushing for over 100 yards and two touchdowns in three of the five games...this included his first-ever 200-yard game, when he rushed for 217 and a pair of scores in a 21-14 win over the defending Super Bowl Champion Patriots in 2002...his longest run in that game was a 58-yard touchdown jaunt...speaking of 58, in addition to his 123 yards on the ground in last year’s playoff game, Tomlinson also had a 58-yard catch against the Pats, which was his longest catch of the year.
• Tomlinson finished the regular season with over 100 yards rushing in four of the last five games.
• Tomlinson has scored nine touchdowns (seven rushing and two receiving) in the Chargers’ last seven games...he finished the 2007 season leading the NFL with 15 rushing TDs.
• The Chargers offensive line, featuring starters Jeromey Clary, Mike Goff, Nick Hardwick, Kris Dielman and Marcus McNeill, has given up only four sacks in the last five games, while opening holes for the team’s running backs to rush for 640 yards (128.0 ypg), including a season-high 274 against Detroit Dec. 16...in last Sunday’s Divisional Playoffs, the line didn’t allow a single sack in 23 passing plays and in the two playoff games combined, they’ve only allowed one sack in 54 passing plays...in 12 games this season, including playoffs, the Chargers have given up zero or one sack and three times they rushed for over 200 yards...in the regular season, the Chargers’ offensive line only allowed 24 sacks, tied for eighth-fewest in the league.

Game Notes

San Diego Charges and the New England Patriots met last year in Divisional Playoffs (1/14/07), won by NE, 24-21...Including the playoffs, the Patriots (17) and Chargers (13) have combined for 30 wins this year, tying for 2nd most combined victories in AFC Championship Game history (31; Pittsburgh & New England in 2004)...Since 1970, home teams are 49-25 (.662) in conference championship games.

Chargers have won consecutive playoff games for 1st time since ’94 season & seeks 1st 3-game postseason winning streak in club history...Team has won 8 consecutive games (2nd-longest active streak in NFL to Patriots’ 17)...Team is set to appear in its 4th AFC Championship Game since SB era, having played in 1980 (34-27 loss vs. Oakland), 1981 (27-7 loss at Cincinnati) and 1994 (17-13 win at Pittsburgh) games ...Head coach NORV TURNER is 3-1 (.750) in postseason...QB PHILIP RIVERS is 2-1 (.667) in postseason & has completed 47 of 81 passes (58.0 pct.) for 786 yards with 4 TDs vs. 3 INTs & 91.9 passer rating.  Last weekend vs. Indianapolis, Rivers posted career playoff highs in TDs (3), completion percentage (73.7) & passer rating (133.2).  Rivers has 153.8 passer rating in second half of two playoff games this year (18 of 25, 72.0 percent, 337 yards, 3 TD, 0 INTs).  Team is 9-1 (.900) when Rivers has 70+ completion pct.,incl. postseason...In last four games vs. New England including postseason, San Diego has averaged 155.3 rushing yards per game with 7 TDs...RB LA DAINIAN TOMLINSON (1,474) led league in rushing for 2nd season in row.  In only career playoff meeting vs. NE, Tomlinson rushed for a playoff career-high123 yards & 2 TDs, 2nd highest rushing total Pats have allowed in franchise postseason history (’99; 162, Fred Taylor)...Team is 8-0 when TE ANTONIO GATES has 2 or more TD receptions...In his 2 career playoff games, WR CHRIS CHAMBERS has 9 receptions for 188 yards (20.9 avg.) & 1 TD...Last week, WR VINCENT JACKSON registered career-high 7 receptions and 5th highest yardage total (93 yards)... Club forced a league-high 48 turnovers in 2007, marking the most by an NFL team in a season since the Baltimore Ravens (49) in 2000.  Chargers are 12-1 this year (inc. 2-0 postseason) with an even or positive turnover ratio.  During current 8-game winning streak, San Diego has +18 turnover ratio (26 takeaways, 8 giveaways).  Defense led NFL with 30 INTs (most for SD since ’69), including INT vs. Pats on 9/16/07.  Ranked 2nd in AFC with 42 sacks, including 2 sacks vs. Pats in same game...Team is 11-1 (.917) when LB SHAWNE MERRIMAN has 2+ sacks.  Merriman registered sack in ‘06 divisional game vs. NE.  Including postseason, Merriman has 3 career sacks vs. NE in 3 games...CB ANTONIO CROMARTIE led NFL with franchise-high 10 INTs & became 1st Charger to lead league in the category. Cromartie posted 1st career postseason INT last week vs. Colts.  

New England Patriots will be appearing in its 5th conference championship game in past 7 seasons & 7th in club history.  Team has conference-best .833 wining percentage (5-1) in championship games since start of Super Bowl era (1966; minimum 4 appearances)...Head Coach BILL BELICHICK has .824 (14-3) career postseason win pct., trailing only HOFer VINCE LOMBARDI, .900 (9-1) for best all-time...Offense ranked 1st in NFL (411.3 yards-per-game) & set NFL record with 589 points & 75 TDs in ’07...At home in postseason, QB TOM BRADY is 7-0 as starter & has completed 156 of 246 passes for 1,569 yards with 11 TDs & 2 INTs with 93.0 passer rating.  Last weekend, Brady posted 92.9 completion percentage (26 of 28), the highest NFL mark in history.  Brady started the game 16-for-16, a single-game postseason record. Finished game with 141.4 passer rating, 4th highest playoff total in NFL since 2000. Has 1 or more TD passes in 13 consecutive postseason games, tied for second all-time...Incl. postseason, NE is 50-1 (.980) when Brady has 100+ passer rating...RB LAURENCE MARONEY had career-high 835 yards (4.5 avg.) on 185 att. in ’07.  Posted 122 yards rushing last week, 3rd highest playoff total in club annals.  In last meeting vs. Chargers (9/16/07), Maroney gained 77 yards (5.1 avg.) on 15 carries...For postseason career, WR RANDY MOSS averages 20.47 yards-per-reception, 6th highest average in league history (minimum: 20 receptions).  In last game vs. Chargers, Moss gained 105 yards & 2 touchdowns.  Moss & WR WES WELKER combined for 2,668 receiving yards in ’07.  Welker set franchise record with 112 receptions this season...Had 9 catches last week, tied for 5th highest postseason total in club annals...TE BENJAMIN WATSON’S 2 TD receptions in Divisional Playoffs tied for most in team postseason history...CB ASANTE SAMUEL is tied for 1st in NFL history with WILLIE BROWN with 3 career defensive TDs in 12 postseason games...LB MIKE VRABEL tied for 3rd in AFC with career-high 12.5 sacks.  Vrabel has posted 3 sacks in past 5 postseason games.  Vrabel has 2 career TD receptions in postseason...S RODNEY HARRISON has INT in 4 consecutive playoff games and needs 1 this week to surpass AENEAS WILLIAMS for longest such streak in NFL playoff history...WR-PR TROY BROWN has 315 career playoff punt-return yards for 2nd most in NFL history & needs 25 punt-return yards to surpass BRIAN MITCHELL (339) for most in postseason history.