Are we glad it's the Chargers?

[Steve Zabel]

I'll probably be skewered for this but it looks to me like with all the Colts this and Colts that we seem very grateful San Diego is coming in. Was anyone a wee bit concerned if the Colts won? I know we'll never have to wonder now.

Opinions.

 

[Bertil]

The fact is, no matter who it was we'd be worried about something. Until this season is over, that's just how it's gonna be. We just have to deal with it.

 

[Ootball]

Just my 2 cents, but I don't think the Colts, at least subconsciously, thought they could beat you in Foxboro.

That 4th quarter loss this year was very deflating for them; did you see those faces on the sidelines? Guys like Addai in particular gave everything they had, and they still lost in the end. And now Freeney is gone.

The Chargers believe they can beat you, despite the debacle in September. They are playing with a lot more confidence right now. And, there is no question, at this point in the season, their D is better.

It's a much better match-up.

 

[MRBLAZE]

I would derive more satisfaction from beating Indy again, but I'm happy with the way things happened. With all the trash SD players talk, and all the hoopla after knocking them out of the playoffs last year, in a way I'm happy it's them. Plus I think their offense, banged up or healthy, is not on the same level as Indy's despite the forgettable performance last week.

 

[BelichickFan]

It's the AFC Championship, we aren't supposed to be playing the Raiders or the Dolphins. Every good team comes with it's pros and cons but I'd much rather face Rivers than Manning. This is definitely the preferable matchup for me but taht doesn't mean we'll win.

 

[Fahrenhype]

The RCA Dome was closed out in style: a playoff choke and obnoxious hicks booing a girl. A fitting end.

 

[alamo]

I was glad the Colts lost. But it had NOTHING to do with thinking the Chargers might be easier.

The reality is, despite so many pronouncements here the Pats can't lose, they CAN lose. Unlikely but possible.

And ten times worse than the Patriots losing would have been the Colts going on to repeat as champions. That would, to me, have been truly horrible.

So I am MUCH happier and calmer this week than I would have been, and can truly enjoy the days leading up to the game.

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

I think either way it was setting up to be a tough game. I think weather and travel is more likely to affect a west coast, warm weather team than Indy. The Chargers also had one extra game so far in the playoffs and the staff is less familiar with Belichick than the Colts' staff. So for those reasons, the Chargers would seem to be, on paper, a better match up than the Colts. On the other hand, I don't discount the role that emotions and bulletin board material can have in a game. I did not used to think such things could matter in a big game, but Belichick has convinced me otherwise. I think the Chargers -- much like the Patriots do -- have taken the perceived slights after last year's game and worked it up into a motivating rage. They would love to "disrespect" our logo this year.

So, in many respects, I do not see a significant difference and I'm not more comfortable with the Pats playing the Chargers than if it were the Colts.

All that said, I was still rooting for the Chargers against the Colts, simply due to the fact that if the Patriots lose the championship game, the implications of losing to the Chargers are not as bad as the implications of losing to the Colts. If the Colts had won the SB this year, along the way beating at home a team many thought was making a case for the greatest ever, I think they could have started to make a very compelling case to being close to the Patriots in the "recent dynasty" discussion. Two consecutive (and more recent) Super Bowls, two conference championships over the Pats head to head, and crazy numbers in the regular season for several straight years.

The prospect of a Chargers one-off super bowl win does not trouble me as much.

So, I was rooting for the Chargers solely in a disappointment-avoidance posture -- hopefully it won't turn into a careful-what-you-wish-for situation. If the Patriots lose the AFCCG, I'll be bitterly disappointed, of course. But it would hurt worse losing to the Colts, so in that sense I'm happy it's the Chargers.

 

[itgl72]

I wasn't rooting for the Chargers to win, but more for the Colts to lose. I think it would have been a tough game vs Indy but favoring a win for NE. I am only slightly more comfortable playing against San Diego because I know on any given week, anything can happen, and then the dream is over. Lets hope against that and start a new 2-game winning streak and get this over with! Good Luck Pats!

 

[thenepatsrule]

with three of the bolts main players injured i am sure BB is happy that the pats are playing the chargers rather than the colts..........even if the colts would have made it the pats would have won the game but we would have had to wait till the last quarter for the win.......now that we are playing a depleted chargers team i think the game is won even before the toss.................

 

[VJCPatriot]

It would have been more satisfying to beat the Colts in the AFCCG. I think there's a measure of wanting to beat the "defending champs" as well. SD just got to them first.

As far as matchups go, I think that the Pats matchup more favorably vs SD.

Phillip Rivers vs Peyton Manning. I would much rather face PR.

SD Receivers vs Colts Receivers. Again edge to Colts.

SD DL vs Colts DL. I'd give an edge to SD here. They are better at pressuring the passer than the Colts with Freeney out.

SD secondary vs Colts secondary. I'd say they are even. The Chargers have a better #1 corner (Cromartie) than the Colts, but the Chargers have Super Bob back there making plays. The Chargers have no safety the caliber of Bob Sanders. He absolutely kills the run and makes plays all over the field. The real matchup to consider is Moss vs Jammer, as Jammer lines up on Moss side. I think we've got a big time mismatch there.

After you consider that Tomlinson is dinged, him and Addai are pretty much even.

So all in all, it's looking like the Pats will definitely have some matchups they can exploit against the Chargers, and overall the Colts would have been a harder challenge. The Colts lost because they had 2 key turnovers in the redzone, otherwise they were easily heading to a 30+ point game.

The Pats merely have to avoid the turnovers that SD thrives on, take advantage of their matchups, and they should beat the Chargers straight up by at least 2 scores.

 

[Double G]

Prior to the Colts/Chargers game, I wanted the Colts to lose as I was worried about how good their D was this year and Manning is Manning.

As the game unfolded, I was no longer worried about the Colts defense and felt good that even if they pulled the game out at the end (and they should have), I liked our chances vs them.

The Chargers won so let's go, game on.

The one thing none of these Charger trolls have addressed all week is how is Rivers going to basically not practice all week and then play in the game and if he can't go, they HONESTLY think a back up is going to lead them to a victory possibly without Gates and a less than 100% LT?

Funny how they just pass right over that; do we win without Brady, Moss and Maroney in SD? I'd say not an effin chance in Hell we'd win, yet they continually gloss over the injury factor like it's no big deal.

 

[eom]

I am superpissed the colts lost and cheated us of our revenge.

chargers already got their 38-14 ass kicking,

 

[jmt57]

I didn't start watching the game rooting for one team or the other, but with the way all the ref's calls were going one way - for the Colts - I found myself rooting for the Chargers to win.

 

[Flying Fungi]

Last 8 games

SD Defense- 13ppg
NE Defense- 20 ppg

SD offense- 28ppg
NE offense 29ppg

This is not the week 2 Chargers, they are as hot as you if not hotter right now.

oooo...they won 8 straight games...oooo...

17-0

http://www.patsfans.com/new-england-patriots/messageboard/showpost.php?p=639234&postcount=1

The Chargers have to now travel across country again to face an undefeated team in a hostile stadium in miserably hostile weather conditions.

Its nice to have confidence in your team, but you are daft if you think SD has ANY edge in this game. If they win, it will be an upset of monumental proportions.

 

[madman]

GO BOLTS!

As someone stated, no one seems to be taking into account that half our best players aren't practicing this week. I do think this could cause some problems for Philip, but once he gets a few passes completed he should settle in just fine.

I don't have the confidence in backup Volek like some SD fans do. He's a backup for a reason, and our best chance to win this game is to have Philip under center.

 

[SVN]

defensively iam glad since colts offense woouldve give us more fits
offensively iam not too thrilled since SD's pressure package is much better than the colts
special teams also we had an edge over the colts but with the bolts its a wash

 

[TruthSeeker]

It would have been more satisfying to beat the Colts in the AFCCG. I think there's a measure of wanting to beat the "defending champs" as well. SD just got to them first.

We already beat the defending champs in their place, so no problem there.

 

[spacecrime]

The Chargers believe they can beat you

A lot of teams believed that could beat the Pats this year. It takes more than that.

 

[eom]

yeah, but the chargers believe they can beat us 9 out of 10 times.