Chargers’ challenge is playoff win

Tuesday, Jan 09, 2007
By Tom Shanahan, Chargers.com

The New England Patriots are the NFL’s most recent dynasty, having won Super Bowl titles three out of four years in the 2001, 2003 and 2004 seasons.

Quarterback Tom Brady and his AFC East champion teammates with three Super Bowl rings carry a certain mystique about them as they travel to San Diego for an AFC Divisional Round playoff game against the Chargers (14-2) Sunday at Qualcomm Stadium.

The Patriots (13-4) are the next best thing to a defending Super Bowl champion in this year’s tournament since the Pittsburgh Steelers, last year’s champs, didn’t qualify for the playoffs.

But the Bolts players say they aren’t focused on challenging the mystique of a dynasty. That’s because they’re still stinging from the upset loss at home in the 2004 playoffs to the Wild Card New York Jets.

“I think to win this game for our sake is more important than the team we’re playing,” said Pro Bowl tight end Antonio Gates. “We have to focus on our preparation and overcome the hump of not winning the playoff game two years ago. We’re focused on winning this game regardless of who we’re playing.”

Two years ago, the Chargers were 12-4 AFC West champions. They were the surprise team of the NFL after a 4-12 record the previous season. Looking back upon the 2004 season, the players say there was too much satisfaction to just be in the playoffs. The franchise hadn’t advanced to the post-season since 1995.

But the Chargers say they aren’t satisfied with their AFC West title, their second in the last three years. Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson, the NFL MVP, arrived early to meet with the media Monday and agreed with comments he heard from Gates.

“I recall in ’04 when we got back from Cleveland, there were so many fans in front,” said Tomlinson, referring to fans greeting the team upon returning from clinching the AFC West title. “It was like we won the Super Bowl. Now, it’s more that we expected to be in the playoffs; we expected to be division champions. At this point, it’s ‘What are you going to do now?’ ”

For the next few days, that means practicing to find holes in the Patriots’ defense and preparing to mount a pass rush against Brady to slow down New England’s offense.

There were no upsets in the Wild Card rounds of the playoffs, with the No. 4 seed Patriots beating the Wild Card New York Jets to earn a date with the No. 1 seed Chargers and the No. 3 seed Indianapolis Colts beating the Wild Card Kansas City Chiefs to earn a date with the No. 2 seed Baltimore Ravens.

“If you’re going to be a champion, you have to play them along the way,” Chargers Head Coach Marty Schottenheimer said of the tough matchup. “Whether you play them in the first round, the second round or the championship game, it doesn’t really matter. For us, it’s going to be about staying in the moment and trying to find a way to win one game this weekend.”

Although the Patriots lost their Super Bowl crown when they were defeated by the Denver Broncos in the 2005 Divisional Round, Brady is 11-1 in his career in the playoffs.

“I was telling the guys that I beat the Patriots while I was with Carolina last year and the Chargers beat the Patriots last year, but the thing is, we haven’t played Tom Brady in the post-season,” said free safety Marlon McCree, signed a free agent this season.

McCree played for Carolina in last year’s NFC Championship game loss to the Seattle Seahawks. He and the Chargers players from the 2004 season will tell the newcomers in 2005 and 2006 the playoffs are different than the regular season. Outside linebacker Shawne Merriman sounds like he’s been listening.

“They are the team we have to beat to go where we want to go,” Merriman said. “Everybody has the same record in the playoffs. My 17 sacks go away, and you have to start all over again and re-establish yourself as that team in the playoffs.”