2013 San Diego Chargers Preview

2013 San Diego Chargers

The Chargers will wrap up the AFC side of the previews, and if you’ve been paying attention at all, you know that my six playoff teams are set already, and should look like this (in seed order): Denver, Baltimore, New England, Houston, Indianapolis, Cleveland. However that does not mean that you shouldn’t read this preview, as it will be short and sweet. I don’t like the Chargers. I used to in the glory days of the mid-2000’s, when Philip Rivers wasn’t an atrocity, and LT and Gates were in their primes. That success is long gone now, and this is now a team struggling to stay relevant. Mike McCoy is in at head coach, taking a promotion from Denver’s offensive coordinator position. I don’t think it will matter. Rivers is on the decline of his career, Ryan Mathews lives in the hospital, and they don’t have any threatening receivers. The defense was pretty solid last year but it is unknown if they can continue that success. Vincent Brown is a strong breakout candidate, but I don’t think his season will live up to the hype (maybe like 800 yards, 5 TDs). The one guy who could be quite productive is Danny Woodhead, the utility scatback who came over from New England. Thank goodness we are done talking about the Manti Te’o fake girlfriend story, which in my opinion was a waste of time. The Chargers have lost their luster, and I think they will be closer to the bottom of the AFC West standings this year. Love the powder blues, though.

Schedule

So I was looking through San Diego’s schedule and I realized that I had them losing almost every game, without even 

really meaning it. I mean, this team still has some talent and dignity left, enough so that they don’t put together a 4-12 season. Here are my predictions for the Chargers, and forgive me if the games don’t all match up to those of the previous teams’ schedules. It’s the final record that matters.

Week 1: L vs HOU

Week 2: L at PHI

Week 3: W at TEN

Week 4: L vs DAL

Week 5: L at OAK

Week 6: W vs IND

Week 7: L at JAC

Week 8: Bye

Week 9: W at WAS

Week 10: L vs DEN

Week 11: L at MIA

Week 12: L at KC
Week 13: W vs CIN

Week 14: L vs NYG

Week 15: L at DEN

Week 16: W vs OAK

Week 17: W vs KC

The 2013 San Diego Chargers will finish 6-10, which will be third in the AFC West. I can’t see them doing better than 

that, although I may be a little too down on the team in general. Do not put any stock in the individual game results for the Chargers, because I have no idea when and where the wins will come; all I know is, they are in a tier above the awful teams in the conference, but below the serious playoff contenders, kind of like the Buffalo Bills. The only difference is, the Bills are on their way up, but the Chargers are falling down, and I think that the Philip Rivers window has officially closed.

Bold Prediction: Danny Woodhead will lead the team in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. Ryan Mathews will not break 400 rushing yards.