Chargers Will Look to Keep Win Streak Alive in Cincinnati

On Sunday in cold temps, the San Diego Chargers (9-7) will hope to get an AFC West playoff win as they take on the Cincinnati Bengals (11-5).

Good news came their way on the injury front with Sunday morning media reports that wide receiver Eddie Royal is now expected to play after missing practice for the entire week. He had been listed as questionable thanks to a lingering toe injury from October. He sits as the team’s No. 4 receiver but he is an integral part of quarterback Phillip River’s passing game.

Even with his bum toe, he’s had a career-high eight touchdowns while also finding great success in the red zone.

For the Chargers, they’ve undergone a three-year playoff drought and as a No. 6 seed enter Sunday’s game as the underdog against the No. 3 Bengals. According to the Los Angeles Times, since the league realigned in 2002, the No. 1 seed in either conference has won the Super Bowl only two times: the New Orleans Saints (2009) and the New England Patriots (2003). Interestingly enough, the same number of No. 6 seeds have also won during that time period: the Green Bay Packers (2010) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (2005).

Vegas doesn’t see the Chargers entering this small group as they sit at 40/1 to win the 2014 Super Bowl.

Phillip Rivers

But if Rivers has anything to do with it (along with his league-leading completion percentage and his career-high 69.5 percent), he’ll lead this team to its fifth straight win. The veteran player spoke of the Chargers’ playoff journey with a one win at a time mantra. Rewind to Dec. 1 and this represents the Chargers’ last loss, which yes came against the Bengals, 17-10.

Then things began to turn around.

Rivers said via the Los Angeles Times, “When we lost to Cincinnati here to go 5-7, it was like, ‘All right, boys….We weren’t going to shut it down. We’re too prideful to quit. But it was like, ‘If we lose another one, we’re out. We have to win four in a row to even have a chance.’

“So we beat the Giants and it was, ‘We’re alive for another week.’ We beat Denver, and that felt like a playoff game. And the last two truly were, because Miami and Baltimore lost before we kicked it off. So it was, ‘All right, Chargers, you win and you move on to the next round.’ And then last week, same deal.”

Good luck going up against the Bengals on their home field; they sit at 8-0 and have accumulated 24 sacks during this time, limiting their opponents’ quarterbacks to a 60.6 rating along with nine scores and 15 interceptions, according to ESPN.

They’ve also found success at home with 21 turnovers (of a 31 total at home), returning six of them for touchdowns.

Antonio Gates

Quarterbacks Tom Brady, Joe Flacco, Aaron Rodgers and Ben Roethlisberger have all lost in Cincinnati this year and for the Chargers, they’ll hope that tight end Antonio Gates has a better game than last time as he had two turnovers against the Bengals in 2013.

Lucky for the Chargers, it wasn’t a good game for Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton in their last meeting. He only had 190 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception but he is 2-0 against the Chargers.

Will good Andy Dalton show up on Sunday?

As for their previous post-season matchup,  it took place in 1982. While the Bengals won 27-7 in the AFC championship game, it may best remembered as one of the coldest games in league history. For this year, the Packers (8-8) vs. the San Francisco 49ers may walk away with this honor.

Both the Chargers and the Bengals want this postseason win badly but it will go to the Bengals (-6.5, 46 o/u). They sit at 16/1 to win the 2014 Super Bowl.