Chargers have one thing in their favor: revenge
Bitter memories of last season’s playoff loss to N.E. motivating San Diego
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They have the revenge factor. And it’s real.
Yes, San Diego is still smarting over the Patriots dancing on their home field last January after upsetting the No. 1 seeded Chargers in the AFC divisional playoffs. Who can forget an impassioned LaDainian Tomlinson yelling at the Patriots on the field, seconds after his team’s Super Bowl hopes were dashed?
It was 53 weeks ago, but it still burns.
No other team that has faced, and fallen, to New England in this 17-round massacre has anything this real to sink their teeth into like the Chargers. Sure, the Jets had “SpyGate.” But you got the feeling that the Jets players were sheepish about the whole ordeal. By the time the two teams met again in December, the Jets were counting their draft order and not exactly on the hunt for some sweet, sweet revenge.
Other teams have certainly tried to stir their own pot by directing some heat toward New England. But it was manufactured stuff like Steeler Anthony Smith’s lame guarantee or Jaguar Paul Spicer’s “SpyGate” cracks last week. These were just made-for-TV bear poking expeditions that didn’t have any steam ... and did not work.
What the Chargers have is real. They hate the Patriots with real cause. They are legitimately mad.
Thus, the Chargers will run onto the field Sunday not on the heels of any silly guarantees or hollow words. They have true hard feelings on their side as they attempt to knock off New England and send themselves to the Super Bowl.
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Even in the immediate afterglow of a stirring, unlikely win at Indianapolis on Sunday, San Diego players had a glisten in their eyes talking about the chance to finally crack the Patriots in the mouth.
“I’m excited,” tight end Antonio Gates said. “It’s going to be fun. We’ve been looking forward to this.”
Added Vincent Jackson, who is developing into a true No. 1 receiver: “We’ve been waiting for this one. We want another crack.”
Leave it to intense defensive tackle Igor Olshansky to dig deeper.
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