Three-game home-stand will answer questions

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Tuesday, Nov 18, 2008
By Casey Pearce, Chargers.com

It was nearly 1 a.m. Monday morning when Chargers defensive end Jacques Cesaire climbed into bed at his San Diego home following the team’s cross-country flight from Pittsburgh. Fortunately for Cesaire and the Bolts, it’ll be another month before they spend another night in a hotel room.

“We’re very excited about this three-game stretch at home because we love playing in front of our fans,” Cesaire said. “We’re hurting right now because things aren’t going our way, but we’re not down and out. We’re still excited. Don’t ever count us out. Ever.”

The 4-6 Chargers, far from out as Cesaire notes, are now two games behind Denver in the AFC West race after the Bolts dropped a heartbreaking 11-10 decision to the Steelers Sunday. But over the last three seasons, nothing has cured what ails them like a few weeks of home cooking.

Starting Sunday against the Colts, the Chargers will be at home for three consecutive weeks and four of their last six games. It’s the club’s first three-game home-stand since 2001, and the Bolts’ ability to stay hot at home will define their final six weeks of the season.

“This will tell the story,” Rivers said. “What will December mean? What meaning will it have? Two games back but the team we’re two games back from, we get to play them once. You just hope you can gain enough ground where that game will mean everything.”

Just how good has home been for the Bolts of late? They’ve won 18 of their last 20 at home, including a 3-1 mark this season. They haven’t lost at home since the regular-season opener against Carolina.

This season, the Chargers are 3-1 at home, where their offense is averaging 35 points per game as opposed to 22 on the road. Rivers, who is 18-2 at home during his career, has a passer rating of 121.3 at home opposed to an 87.8 mark on the road this year.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Bolts give up nearly a touchdown less per game, as their opponents have scored an average of 21 points per game at Qualcomm Stadium but more than 28 per contest in road games.

“It’s always easier when you’ve got your crowd behind you and you can feed off their energy,” running back LaDainian Tomlinson said. “We’ve been good at home the last couple of years and we need to continue that to get us on track.”

Throughout a season that has been mentally and physically tough on the Chargers, players have continued to hold their heads high while keeping their eyes on a prize that is still attainable.

“Everything we set out to do this year is still out there to be accomplished,” Rivers said. “I’m not trying to make the situation sound good. It’s not going to be easy, but the door is not shut. As many people that are going to write us off, we’ve got to find a way to make up a game in the next five. That’s all we can do right now as players.”

Although his club has faced some adversity, Chargers Head Coach Norv Turner likes his team’s mindset as they enter this crucial portion of their schedule. He praised their mental toughness Monday.

“I’m impressed with the attitude, the resiliency,” Turner said. “This is a group that has a lot of pride and care a lot about their performance and where we are as a football team. We’ve been in some tough situations where games could have gotten away from us. They have not let those games get away from us, whether it was in London or games early in the year where it was 21-3 early in the game (at Denver). This group is pretty resilient.”

Turner also seemed part frustrated and part encouraged over the fact that each of the team’s losses have been by nine points or less, with two of their shortcomings being decided by a single point.

“We know how close we are and our guys know how close we are.” Turner said. “We just need to get over the hump.”

Rivers expanded on that, saying that it’s up to him and his teammates to start making the ball bounce their way in the final stretch of the season.

“I don’t know how many have come down to the wire where we haven’t been on the top end of some of these games,” Rivers said. “There’s no consolation in that. We haven’t made the plays. That’s what every team that’s sitting at 4-6 or is struggling is saying. ‘Golly, we’re a couple plays away.’ There are teams right now that are 4-6 that go to 7-9 or 6-10 and there’s teams that battle back and give themselves a chance for the division. Hopefully we’re going to be the latter of those, too. “

Mike Nowak, Chargers.com

Home has been kind to the Chargers over the last three years, and the Bolts are looking forward to their three-game home stand.

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