Charger's a Season of Misses Opportunities

While reading about Antonio Gates being voted the only unanimous Pro-Bowl selection, I got to thinking about the Charger's season. A season so filled with hope and high expectations. Can anyone really say that this is not one of the eight best teams in football? How could this team not have made the playoffs? Sure they played a brutal schedule that saw them travel to the Eastern time zone an unprecendented four times but when it's all said and done, 2005 will go down in Charger history as a year of missed opportunities. The season season got off to a rocky start with the holdout of Antonio Gates. There is plenty of blame for both parties here. The Chargers were right to hold the line against the already under contract Gates. The free agent basketball player from Kent was well within his rights (based on performance) to expect a better long term deal. The situation was handled very poorly by both sides with Gates ultimately suspended by the team for four games for not reporting. Gates, who received a $7000 signing bonus in 2003 and was scheduled to make the league 3-yr minimum of $380,000, eventually signed a six-year deal worth a reported 30 million (10 million guaranteed) but the dameage was done. Gates would miss the Charger opener vs. Dallas. Week One: Dallas 28 San Diego 24 - With Gates sitting out the final game of his suspension, the Cowboys were able to stack the box holding LaDanian Tomlinson to just 72 yards. Three Drew Bledsoe TD passes, the final with 3:06 to play, downed the Chargers in their home opener. Week Two: Denver 20 San Diego - The Chargers took a 14-3 lead to the lockerroom at halftime but could only manage 41 second half yards. Champ Bailey came up with a pick in the final five minutes and Ron Dayne's 38 fourth quarter rushing yards set up a Jason Elam FG with five seconds left. The Chargers had dug themselves an 0-2 hole. Week Five: Pittsburg 24 San Diego 22 - The Steelers, off a surprise loss to New England and also off their bye, got a 40-yard FG from Jeff Reid with six seconds left to win the Monday nighter. An LT TD with 4:42 left gave San Diego a 22-21 but Tomlinson was stuffed on the conversion setting up a final drive by Roethlisberger. Week Seven: Philadelphia 20 San Diego 17 - The Chargers overcame an early 10-0 deficit to lead 17-10 and were ready to ice the game with a FG with just 2:25 remaining. After failing to convert a fourth-and-one, Nate Kaeding's kick was blocked and returned 65 yards for the Eagle win. Tomlinson was held to just seven yards on 17 carries. At this point, San Diego is 3-0 in games when LT has 20 carries and 0-4 when he doesn't. Week Fourteen: Miami 23 San Diego 21 - In classic look ahead, Chargers never show up, never get going, and are handed a third home loss by the Dolphins led by Gus Frerotte. The Chargers had won five straight in dominating fashion before forgetting they had a game before meeting the then undefeated Indianapolis Colts. The Chargers clearly had their backs against the wall. The Chargers easily handled the Colts on the road but it was still win or go home as the Bolts headed to Arrowhead to meet the equally desperate Chiefs. Week Sixteen: Kansas City 20 San Diego 7 - Larry Johnson rushed for 131 yards and two scores and the Charger offense could get nothing going as they were officially eliminated from the playoffs. The Chiefs extended their December home win streak to 18 and Johnson rushed for 100 yards for the eighth straight time. Week Seventeen: Denver 23 San Diego 7 - With nothing on the line for either team, this yawner was played as if both teams were comatose and double-parked. Adding insult to injury, Drew Brees dislocated his shoulder near the half with Phillip Rivers seeing first real action in two years and going 12-22 for 115 and an interception. Clearly there will be changes as the Chargers head into next year. The Bolt front office has already made it clear that they want to keep both Brees and Rivers. They'll also need more player on defense, particularly in a secondary that has cost them dearly in this two-year resurgence. The Chargers first five losses were by a combined fourteen points with all five games being decided in the final five minutes, two on the final play. Each of those games was extremely winable, and one could argue that had the Chargers had some character, their December 18th meeting with the Colts could have featured two unbeatens. All in the course of a year for a squad whose highlight will would be aptly titled, "The season of Missed Opportunities".