Signature Game.

The Chargers have yet to receive an ounce of respect from the NFL experts, analysts or reporters this year.
Power poll rankings on pretty much every site that has anything to do with Football have them ranked from 11th down to the 19th.

Chargers victories haven't been exposed as them playing well, but more their opponents playing poorly.

Although the Chargers run defense has absolutely shut down Darren McFadden and Chris Johnson, they have been widely ignored around the league as being good. Perhaps elite RB's now hit their wall at 26.

Okay, I do understand that there have been only two games, and that's hardly a yardstick measure a team, but with a 18 point average margin of victory, and being only one of 6 teams still undefeated, being power ranked outside the top 15 is simply judging a team based on past years.

The Chargers are a totally different team than last year, and for the first time in a long time, it's easy to see the team has improved , instead of slid backwards.

Sunday's game against the Falcons will not determine a playoff spot, or guarantee anything with bearing on the season for that matter, however, it could be the game that propels the Chargers into a top 10 team at the very least, and with a strong victory a Top 5 team.

Although that doesn't really matter to the casual fan, it is huge to the teams confidence.
With the Raiders hosting the Steelers , Broncos hosting the Texans, and Chiefs playing the Saints in the dome, there could be some serious ground made here on the rest of the AFC West.

I was talking to a friend yesterday that said " well, even if we lose, we will still be 2-1". I'm so sick of that mentality, I'm thinking this will be the week that the chargers knock off a strong opponent convincingly, take a two game lead in the division and get put on the map as a NFL powerhouse.

Falcons 20
Chargers 31