San Diego Chargers Blow Shot at Playoffs Against Kansas City Chiefs
By David Cuff
@DaveCuff
Getty Images
The San Diego Chargers just had to win this Sunday to make it to the playoffs.
Their chances increased a couple days before when Kansas City Chiefs QB Alex Smith was ruled out due to a lacerated spleen. Even with all of that going for them, the Chargers are going to be on the outside looking in this postseason because they were unable to seize a golden opportunity in Week 17.
Chase Daniel had only thrown 48 career regular season passes going into this game, including just one pass this season. Daniel was calm, cool and collected and was able to do just enough offensively for Kansas City. The Chargers’ defense was unable to force any turnovers, as the Chiefs were able to get into scoring position almost at will. They weren’t able to convert that into many touchdowns, but with the way the Chargers offense played, they didn’t need to.
The Chargers’ offense, more than anything else, blew the team’s playoff opportunity. Philip Rivers had zero touchdowns, two interceptions and could not come up with big completions when they were needed. The running game was able to have some solid success, but it wasn’t enough for the Chargers to sustain any drives.
More than anything, the Chargers offensive line failed. They gave up seven sacks to the Chiefs’ defense, including four given up to Justin Houston. It was an abysmal performance from the offensive line, which certainly contributed to Rivers’ struggles.
Overall, it was a very disappointing performance from San Diego on both sides of the ball. They were a win away from making it into the playoffs for the second straight season, but fell short in the finale. They will look to regroup this offseason after blowing their shot at the playoffs in 2014.
David Cuff is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @DaveCuff, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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