SAN DIEGO — Same old Chargers.
Another great year, another playoff failure. The Jets handed the Chargers their latest unbelievable postseason loss yesterday, this one 17-14.
The Chargers have won the AFC West in five of the last six seasons, but they always stumble when January arrives. The questions about Norv Turner will be flying in southern California this morning like they did about his predecessor, Marty Schottenheimer.Good regular season coach, can’t win the big one.
“You like to be playing your best game in January in games like this,” Turner said. “Certainly, we weren’t for whatever reasons. It’s disappointing.”
CBS’ DIERDORF OFF BASE ON JETS-COLTS REMATCH
The Chargers made too many mistakes to win, committing 10 penalties for 87 yards, several at the most inopportune times. One pass interference call set up the Jets’ field goal. An illegal block brought back a long reception by Vincent Jackson.
Since 2004, only the Colts and Patriots have won more games than the Chargers, but both of those teams have Super Bowl rings. All the Chargers have is heartbreaking losses.
“It’s not a good feeling,” Shawne Merriman said. “I’ll tell you that much, especially when you come so far and you’ve done all the right things to get in the position that we were in, and to fall like this is a horrible feeling. Horrible.”
The last two years the Chargers had injuries to blame, but they entered yesterday’s game as healthy as possible. Their injury report had one player on it all week — punter Mike Scifres.
This season the Chargers will be remembered for winning 11 straight games on their way to a 13-3 record and the No. 2 seed in the AFC. Then the Jets showed up and stole their mojo again.
The last time was in 2004 when Doug Brien kicked the Jets past the Chargers in overtime after Nate Kaeding missed a game-winning attempt. Kaeding played a prominent role in yesterday’s loss, too. The most accurate kicker in NFL history missed two makeable field goals — from 36 yards and 40 yards.
“One of these rested on my shoulders before,” Kaeding said. “Professionally, it’s a tough thing to get through but I never feel sorry for myself. I feel sorry for my teammates, my coaches and the support staff for letting them down. It’s going to be a tough few months but I have to get through it.”