EDITORIAL: Why I’m Fed Up With the Chargers

It’s a frustrating realization that the Quarterback you idolized since you started watching football, is getting old. It’s frustrating that the Chargers have had so many opportunities, and so many damn good teams, and they still weren’t able to go all the way. It’s frustrating that it’s becoming increasingly hard to defend my favorite player - Philip Rivers. I am by no means a bandwagon fan but I had absolutely no interest in watching my favorite team, with my favorite quarterback, and a running back whose work ethic has won me over get steamrolled by a 4 win team.

Like I said before the game, I didn’t think that the Panthers play like a 4 win team. They have awesome weeks and terrible weeks. If you want a similar team to the Chargers, look at the Panthers. Both teams have a fantastic quarterback who is experiencing a down year. Both teams have a surprisingly good defense (where it counts, despite what the stats say), and both teams have been equally frustrating this season.

I turned off the game after the first Philip Rivers interception. Why? Because I knew at that point, that this team was going to get demolished. Rivers currently leads the league in interceptions with 17 and could very easily pass his personal record of 20. In the last 4 weeks, he has thrown 10 interceptions against 10 touchdowns. Oh, and in that period of time? The Chargers have won 1 game and lost 3. At the same time, there are all these unrealistic fans out there who somehow think the Chargers will beat the Chiefs and Raiders. If you’re wondering, the Chargers have not beat the Raiders since 2014, and you have to look back to the last week of the 2013 season to find the last time the Chargers beat the Chiefs. History is not with them. To top it all off, Derek Carr is looking like a much better quarterback and Alex Smith is as safe as ever with the ball. What I’m thinking back to are the two years (2011 and 2012) where the Chargers team was awful and Rivers felt like he had to make the team win. He hasn’t been able to win a game for the Chargers when the pressure is on him in quite some time and there’s no mistaking it. He’s getting old and he needs some help.

The Chargers’ season was over a long time ago. They have been decimated by injuries, including to seemingly every single position, including their best WR, their best 3rd down RB, their best DL missed 4 games (Bosa), their ILBs have been banged up all season, they lost their best DT, and in the last game, Melvin Gordon got hurt too! It’s pretty ridiculous if you ask me and when Mel was hurt, I knew there was no chance on Sunday. Yeah, I sound like a depressed a-hole but when your favorite team has 22 players on IR, including some of your favorite on the team, it hurts. If Philip Rivers and Melvin Gordon had both been put on IR this season, you can bet your butt I would have not watched another game this season.

I’m all in on the tank but it doesn’t make it any less painful.