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Chargers Silver Lining: Winning the Turnover Battle

The San Diego Chargers are winning the turnover battle more in 2012 than they did in 2011, and that's not because of luck.

By John Gennaro
Joe Robbins - Getty Images

Last season, I brought up the turnover battle and how it relates to the team's record quite often. Here's where the San Diego Chargers ended up in terms of the turnover battle in 2011:

  • The Chargers won the turnover battle 4 times in 16 games. They were 4-0 in those games.
  • The Chargers tied in terms of turnovers lost/won 5 times in 16 games. They were 1-4 in those games.
  • The Chargers lost the turnover battle 7 times in 16 games. They were 3-4 in those games.
Simple enough, right? The team that wins the turnover battle in the NFL usually wins the game, which is why teams like the Giants, Patriots and Ravens are consistently good. They pair mistake-free offense with a defense that can force turnovers and the rest just figures itself out. Let's see how the Chargers are doing with the turnover battle this season:

  • The Chargers won the the turnover battle 2 times in 4 games. They are 2-0 in those games.
  • The Chargers tied in terms of turnovers lost/won 1 time in 4 games. They are 1-0 in those games.
  • The Chargers lost the turnover battle 1 time in 4 games. They are 0-1 in those games.
The San Diego defense has looked much improved this season. Between players drafted, signed and the new Defensive Coordinator, both the pass-rush and the run defense appear to be formidable. This will help the Chargers win more games where they "tie" and don't actually win the turnover battle. It will also, hopefully, help them to win the turnover battle more than 25% of the time.

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