NFL: Separating the contenders from the pretenders
San Diego Chargers (3-1): Pretenders
The San Diego surprised some people the way they played down the stretch last season. They hoped to use that as a springboard to this season, and so far they have.
The Chargers have come out of the gates playing very well. They are a heartbreaking loss against the Arizona Cardinals away from being undefeated. They even took on the champs, the Seattle Seahawks, and beat them by double figures.
Can they keep it up, however?
Philip Rivers is playing well, but he won’t be able to continue to carry the offense. He has thrown for 1,155 yards and has nine touchdowns throws compared to just one interception. His 114.5 passer rating is tops in the NFL.
The Chargers have been doing great so far without the help of a running game. They rank 31st in the league in rushing, averaging just 69.5 yards per game. If they can’t get a runner who can get some chunks of yards, the pressure will be higher on Rivers.
The schedule won’t help the Chargers. They have to play the Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos twice, the Kansas City Chiefs twice, and the San Francisco 49ers. Throw in a New England Patriots team that may be over their ills by the time they play, and that is one tough schedule.
The Chargers are electric right now, but don’t expect it to continue.