Pats-Chargers

In recent NFL history, has there been a team that runs their mouth more than the San Diego Chargers that hasn't won a single game of significance?

Since the start of the 2002 season, the Chargers are 79-49 in the regular season and captured the AFC West division championship in 2004 (12-4 record), 2006 (14-2), 2007 (11-5), 2008 (8-8), and 2009 (13-3). They have had individual stars like LaDainian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, Philip Rivers, Antonio Gates, and Shawne Merriman.

What stands out from those teams is the lack of success in the playoffs. They sport a 3-5 record in the postseason and have just one appearance in the AFC Championship Game despite being a regular season powerhouse. In 2006 they were the top seeded team in the AFC but lost at home to the Patriots 24-21 but that did not prevent them from saying that the better team had not won that afternoon.

In spite of their lack of success when it counts, the Chargers carry themselves with a high level of (unearned) swagger. Hearing them talk you would think they are a team with multiple Super Bowl championships under their belt. It is a sure bet come January that the Chargers will look like a Super Bowl contender only to bow out in embarassing fashion before reaching the big game.

The Patriots play in San Diego today in a clash of football cultures. The Patriots worry about having success on the field, especially in the playoffs. Going back to 2002, the Pats regular season record (96-32) is superior to the Chargers and their postseason resume in that same time span (11-4 with victories in Super Bowl's XXXVIII and XXXIX) is the standard for that era. The Patriots have also had more star players than San Diego and if you don't agree, you can be the one to tell that to the likes of Tom Brady, Corey Dillon, Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Vince Wilfork, Richard Seymour, and ... well, you get the point.

Despite their success, the Patriots just remain focused on their next opponent and their next victory. This week's opponent is a banged up Chargers team that always looks better on paper than they are on the field. I'm taking history in this one.

31-21, Patriots.