DETROIT – The Chargers’ three-game win streak was admirable, considering the injuries, bad bounces and turnovers that plagued San Diego in its fall to 4-7.
But for a second straight season, a December run toward the playoffs did not yield a positive result, as San Diego (7-8) was eliminated from contention Saturday with a loss at Detroit (10-5).
The Chargers fell behind 24 points at halftime and lost, 38-10, at Ford Field, getting eliminated from postseason one day removed from Christmas for a second consecutive year. The 28-point deficit represented just the second defeat by more than 14 points under Head Coach Norv Turner.
“When we’ve played well, I think we’ve been able to feed off each other in all three phases, and that’s really what we have to do as a football team,” Turner said. “Today we weren’t able to compete with this team in any of the three phases.
“The disappointment is how we played because I expected us to feed off what we were able to do last week (against Baltimore) and come in and play at a high level.”
“We couldn’t convert,”
Cliff Avril intercepted a
San Diego’s defense couldn’t get Detroit’s offense off the field as Matthew Stafford and the Lions converted 9-of-13 third downs.
“It’s been an issue (third down defense) for us defensively all year,” Turner said. “Sometimes it gets hid a little bit because you’re feeding off each other as an entire team, but they did a good job on third down with their offense.”
Detroit also scored on five of its first six possessions as Stafford completed 29-of-36 passes for 373 yards and three touchdowns.
“We really weren’t able to get pressure on the quarterback and when we did he did a great job moving around, buying time and finding open guys down the field,” Turner said.
The Lions opened the game with a 46-yard completion to Calvin Johnson, setting up a touchdown as the Chargers failed to score before their opponent for the first time since Week 8 at Kansas City.
San Diego appeared to have a game-tying touchdown when
That’s usually a nightmare scenario for Lions opponents at Ford Field, where the defense is built to get after the passer and the crowd is a real factor. Saturday, on Christmas Eve, was no different.
The Chargers’ defense just couldn’t seem to get a stop in the first half as Detroit scored on all four of its possessions.
San Diego trailed, 24-0, at the break.
The Chargers haven’t been shut out in the first half since Sept. 26, 2010, a Week 2 loss at Seattle. Floyd’s third-quarter touchdown catch extended San Diego’s streak to 200 games without being shut out.
“They beat us,” Rivers said. “During that six-game stretch, that’s the one thing we could hang onto was we were in every game. We had a chance. We didn’t get beat like this. This is one of very few in a long time that we’ve been beat like this and you’ve got to give them credit.”
With a win, San Diego would’ve retained a chance to win the AFC West or win the final Wild Card spot next week with a win and some help. But instead, the Chargers will try to avoid their first losing record since 2003.
Since scorching nine of 10 regular-season road opponents in a streak that spanned 2008-09, the Chargers are 5-10 away from Qualcomm Stadium.
San Diego has just two road wins against teams with .500 or better records the last two seasons – 10-6 Indianapolis last November and this year’s Denver team, which was 1-3 at the time.
“Not being in the postseason is a disappointment to this organization because that’s our expectations every year,” Gates said.
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