The San Diego Chargers will win against the Washington Redskins

Philip Rivers

Let's take a look at Philip Rivers' QBR for each game this season:

• vs. Texans: 36.2
• vs. Eagles: 93.5
• vs. Titans: 78.5
• vs. Cowboys: 81.3
• vs. Raiders: 60.0
• vs. Colts: 68.3
• vs. Jaguars: 80.5

Rivers currently ranks 2nd in the league in QBR behind Peyton Manning. In games in which his QBR is above 60, the team is 4-1 (and I still blame that Titans loss on either Marcus Gilchrist or John Pagano). Below 60 and below and the team is 0-2. For some perspective, the Broncos are 6-0 when Manning's QBR is above 60 and 1-1 when it is not.

Here's what I'm getting at: Philip Rivers is Peyton Manning this season. There is almost nothing separating them in terms of their performance on the field. Manning is the best QB this year and Rivers is a half-step behind him, although without either of his starting WRs.

Did you see Peyton Manning put up 31 points in the final quarter of his game against Washington last week? That is why I'm optimistic about Philip Rivers going up against the same team this week.

Ryan Mathews

Mathews hasn't officially missed a game this season due to injury. However, he probably shouldn't have been out there against the Oakland Raiders in Week 5 and it didn't take long for the coaches to realize that as well and glue him to the bench. He had just 3 touches that game, his next lowest total this year being 15 in the Week 1 loss to the Texans.

Since that Raiders game, Mathews has run the ball 43 times for 212 yards (4.93 YPC) and 1 touchdown.

The only rush defenses Pro Football Focus ranks below Washington's are those of the Bears and Jaguars. The only rush defenses Football Outsiders ranks below Washington's are those of the Chargers and Jaguars.

In addition to being the first player this season to have back-to-back 100yd games running the football, Mathews should also be the first player this season to have three consecutive 100yd games running the football against this defense that resembles a wet paper bag to most running backs.

Shootout!

This should just be a weekly point by now. If the Chargers defense doesn't show up, there's still a good chance the Chargers offense can win this game.

The Redskins have only scored more than 27 points in a game once this season, in their 45-41 win over the Bears (who lost Jay Cutler early on in the game with an injury). The Chargers have score more than 27 points in a game three times this season, including in wins against the Eagles (who beat the Redskins this season) and Cowboys (who beat the Redskins this season).

According to Pro Football Focus, the San Diego Chargers have the 3rd best offense in the league. The Redskins are ranked 10th overall. By DVOA, the Redskins have the 11th best offense in the league. However, their weighted DVOA ranks them 15th in the league (meaning their offense is getting worse as the season is going along).

Bonus: Karma

Look, I don't like the "Redskins" name any more than the rest of you. I know some have vowed never to use it, but I don't think it's my job to cover for the NFL or Daniel Snyder. Every time I use it, it is meant as a way to embarrass the team ownership and the league.

The name needs to be changed. We can accept why they were named that when the franchise was started in 1932. We, as a country, were still over 30 years away from the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Brown vs. the Board of Education was still over 20 years away. In 1932, the United States of America was, sadly, still a very racist country.

Keeping the name "Redskins" does not honor the traditions of a 85 year old football team, it honors those racist men that decided on the name in 1932. It honors the time and the practices that shamed those that weren't white men. It is a disgrace to us, as a society, that the name stands in 2013.