Three Biggest Games: San Diego Chargers

There were times in 2014 when Philip Rivers looked like MVP material. His potent accuracy, handy elusiveness and improvisational ability made believers out of many So Cal sceptics that had spent too long wallowing in denial. What started as a promising 5-1 record ran head on into a three-game losing streak, the most embarrassing of which was a 37-0 humbling at the flippers of Miami. Consistency is the name of the game for the 2015 Chargers. Here are three games that will define their season.

Week 5 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Through no fault of their own, the Chargers have served as a thorn in the Steelers’ side in the NFL playoffs over the last couple of seasons. In 2013, a last-second win against an understrength Kansas City vaulted San Diego into the big dance over Pittsburgh. Last year, the Chargers’ loss in a week 17 ‘win-and-you’re-in’ scenario handed Baltimore a wild-card spot, in which the Ravens handily dealt with their arch nemesis away from home. It’s all too disconnected to suggest a rivalry may be brewing here, but the Steelers won’t need to look much further for some motivation in this primetime affair.

Week 6 at Green Bay Packers

As if taking on one of the AFC’s hottest contenders on Monday Night Football wasn’t tough enough, the Chargers head across the country the very next week to take on the Packers with only six days’ rest. Don’t let the physical beauty of Lambeau Field in autumn fool you; it’s one of the most unforgiving houses in professional sport. The Chargers will need every member of their talented secondary on their game in order to keep Aaron Rodgers and his vaunted offense in check. If Eric Weddle, Brandon Flowers and Jason Verrett can’t win the turnover tussle, this one will be over by the third quarter.

Week 17 at Denver Broncos

The Chargers will have to wait until the regular season’s final week to finish their series with hated rivals Denver, in a match that could well see the AFC West championship hanging in the balance. If last season’s deteriorating form was any indication, the Broncos are quickly starting to lose their edge. Peyton Manning’s, and, by extension, Denver’s Super Bowl window is rapidly closing, and a San Diego win here could put a rubber stamp on John Elway’s era of dominance off the field, at least for a few seasons. Freshly signed kick returner Jacoby Jones has given Denver fits in the past, and could prove the difference in this offensive explosion.