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The championship window has closed in San Diego.

Once considered the best roster in the league, the San Diego Chargers have seen impressive depth dwindle, they’ve gotten old in key spots and they have lacked toughness. The result has been a steady decline in the last two years.

“They are one of the most confusing teams I’ve ever seen,” Gary Horton of Scouts Inc. said. “You expect so much from them and then they don’t deliver … They should be so much better, but then you watch them and they can’t do it. I just don’t get them.”

The Chargers -- widely considered as a Super Bowl contender going into this season -- stagger into a Monday night game at Jacksonville on a six-game losing skid. It is the Chargers’ longest such streak in 10 years.

After starting 4-1 and looking like a playoff team, San Diego is now 4-7 and apparently on course to miss the playoffs for the second consecutive season. After owning the AFC West for four years, the Chargers are 13-14 since the start of the 2010 season.

When a rift developed between general manager A.J. Smith and coach Marty Schottenheimer after the Chargers went 14-2 in 2006, Smith hired Norv Turner to take a stacked roster to the Super Bowl. That probably won’t happen. Turner, who is 45-30 as Chargers coach, is expected to be fired unless the Chargers, who are three games behind in both the AFC West and the AFC wild-card races with five games to go, make a miraculous playoff run. Smith's job could also be in danger, particularly if San Diego ownership wants to break the bank and make a run at someone like Bill Cowher or Jon Gruden. There have also been indications that the team is open to continuing with Smith as the top football decision-maker.

However, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported Saturday that the team may be leaning toward firing Smith.

The Chargers have long been lauded for their roster of big-name talent. In the past decade, they drafted potential Hall of Famers in LaDainian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, and Philip Rivers and signed potential Hall of Fame tight end Antonio Gates. They also drafted Shawne Merriman, who had a strong first three years as a premier pass-rusher before disappearing because of injuries.

All the Chargers have remaining from that group is Rivers, who turns 30 this month, and Gates, who is 31 and who has been dealing with serious foot injuries for three years.

Whoever coaches the Chargers in 2012 – Cowher and Jeff Fisher are already being mentioned as potential candidates – will have some work to do. Some solid core players remain, starting with Rivers, who is struggling through his worst NFL season. Still, the Chargers probably will have to be rebuilt in several areas.

“They aren’t as deep as we always thought they were,” Horton said. “They have problems on the offensive line, their receivers aren’t that strong and the defense doesn’t pass rush anymore."

Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. thinks San Diego has some core players -- but not a ton of them, and some of them have question marks. Williamson says Rivers, receiver Vincent Jackson, Gates, guard Kris Dielman, defensive tackle Antonio Garay, linebacker Shaun Phillips, cornerback Quentin Jammer and safety Eric Weddle are all players who can help the team in the future. Williamson also thinks the team’s last two first-round picks, running back Ryan Mathews and defensive lineman Corey Liuget, have a chance to be core players.

Jackson, who has been inconsistent this year, is a free agent after the season. The Chargers may place the franchise tag on him. Rivers, Gates, Dielman (out for the season with a concussion), Garay, Phillips and Jammer will be 30 or older next season. Still, Williamson believes a coaching change could help provide a spark.

“It’s not all Norv’s fault, but he is not maximizing his team’s potential, which is obviously a key component to his job,” Williamson said.

Horton said he believes that if the Chargers do make a coaching change, they need to bring in a taskmaster. There have been whispers among scouts the past couple of years that the Chargers get outmuscled too often. There have been times when San Diego has been manhandled on both lines, including a few instances against the more physical Raiders.

“I like Norv, but I get the feeling they are not playing hard for him,” Horton said. “They always look soft to me, and they often don’t play with a sense of urgency.”

Still, the Chargers have not been blown out this season and they could have won all seven of their losses; indeed, they have made crucial fourth-quarter (or overtime) mistakes in each of their losses. Turner said this week that effort is not a problem.

“Go through the tapes and there’s great effort,” Turner said. “These guys play hard.”

The players I have talked to in San Diego’s locker room know that change is likely to come, and they say they feel bad that Turner is probably going to be the person to pay for the team’s failures. But it is clear that the Chargers’ time as elite playoff contenders is over. If they are going to re-open their Super Bowl window, it will probably be with new leadership.

SAN DIEGO — Notes from early in the second quarter, where the Raiders lead 7-3:

First-year Oakland coach Hue Jackson has earned a reputation as being one of the trickiest coaches in the NFL in the first half of the season. Among the tricks he pulled out was a fake punt in which Shane Lechler hit tight end Kevin Boss for a touchdown Oct. 16 against Cleveland.

Thursday, on fourth-and-1 from inside Chargers territory, Lechler – the Raiders’ emergency quarterback — tried to hit Jacoby Ford, but the pass fell incomplete. San Diego’s Quentin Jammer was all over Ford, but officials ruled that there was no pass interference because there cannot be pass interference on the widest receiver on punt formations.

Oakland running Michael Bush – starting his second consecutive game for the injured Darren McFadden – had a strong first quarter. He had 78 yards on 13 carries as Oakland handled the Chargers’ defense pretty easily.

The Chargers’ red-zone issues bit them again on their first drive. They scooted inside the Raiders’ 20-yard line before making some mistakes and settling for a short Nick Novak field goal.

The Raiders need to shore up their punt defense. Sunday, Denver’s Eddie Royal returned one back for a touchdown. In the first quarter, San Diego rookie Marcus Gilchrist took a lateral from Patrick Crayton and went 40 yards into Oakland territory.

For the second consecutive game, the Chargers are getting booed in their own stadium. There is a solid number of Oakland fans here, although not nearly the amount of Green Bay fans who attended Sunday’s game.

Oakland receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey and tight end Boss played early in the game after barely seeing the field against Denver. Jackson simply said the two were not a big part of that particular game plan.

NFL observers are throwing every conceivable plaudit at Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers these days. It's hard to eclipse the topic Vince Verhei explored for ESPN Insider -- whether Rodgers produced the best first half of a season in league history -- so we'll just grab a small piece of the pie today.

Earlier this year, we noted Rodgers is playing at a rare level of across-the-board consistency, leading the league in both completion percentage (now 72.5) and yards per attempt (9.9). Rodgers' accurate arm has been well-documented and demonstrated this season, but it's also worth noting that his decision making is setting a modern-day pace as well.

Rodgers has thrown three interceptions in a total of 265 attempts over eight games this season. Two of them were tipped and came with the Packers leading by at least 21 points. Rodgers noted last Sunday that "I just don't throw it to the other team. Don't like to. Never have. And I don't think I'm coming very close, either."

Indeed, according to ESPN Stats & Information, opponents have defended and/or intercepted only 16 of his passes this season. That percentage of 6.0 ranks second in the NFL this season, as the first chart shows. But if you look at the second chart, you see that defenders have gotten their hands on a smaller percentage of his passes than any other NFL quarterback since Rodgers became the Packers starter in 2008, a reflection not just of accuracy but smart decisions as well.

That analysis comes off a sizable sample size of 1,817 passes and represents the value of playing in the same offense with a familiar group of skill players over an extended period of time.

"Aaron has a lot of strengths obviously," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "But his decision making is clearly at the highest level that I've personally been a part of so, just his command of the offense, going away from the defense, if the defense tilts one way he goes away from it. We have the firepower to give them options and he he's just been very disciplined with the ball placement. I think his decision making is top notch right now."

Perhaps the highest compliment you could pay Rodgers is that he is making it look easy. In a league where roughly a third of the teams don't have a starting-quality quarterback, let alone a good one, Rodgers is playing as close to perfect as we've seen in some time. Those of you who have listened to his ESPN 540 radio show this year know Rodgers has an extraordinary ability to process the situation on the field, make the appropriate decision and then recall his thought process with remarkable detail.

Consider a random 13-yard completion to tight end Jermichael Finley in the third quarter of last Sunday's 45-38 victory over the San Diego Chargers, one that converted a third-and-3. Facing pressure from a Chargers defensive line stunt, Rodgers calmly debated between throwing to three receivers before stepping up in the pocket, jumping and firing at the last moment to Finley.

Here's how Rodgers described it, courtesy of ESPNMilwaukee.com:

"[Finley] was on the backside. He was running a crossing route with three receivers to the opposite side running a combination route. Dropped back, and they were running a stunt up front, with the end, the tackle, and the nose doing a line game, we like to call it -- where the nose will end up coming all the way back around from our left to our right side.

"They’re playing man with two over the top. As I drop back, [read] number two kind of outside releases it. We're getting squeezed to the sidelines, so I knew I didn't have him. Greg [Jennings] was kind of getting locked down a little bit by [Quentin] Jammer, only because he had to run back to the sideline with his route. If he could have kept going across the field he would have been wide open, but the route called for him to go back.

"Stepped up in the pocket, actually. John Kuhn, who’s always making the play that probably no one ever sees that helps make a play go…. His role in that play is to chip the widest rusher and then get out into his route, which would be a swing route to the right side.

"He sees the looping nose tackle coming around and hits him enough, almost in to me. But I was able to step up, and [Kuhn] hits him to where he falls down behind me. Great play by John. Stepped up in the pocket, was going to throw it to Greg, and then saw Jermichael kind of cutting behind him and had to kind of jump or move my feet in an attempt to get my hips open to that throw. Jermichael made a really nice catch, and a big first down."

Most quarterbacks are aware of the pass rush and what is happening around them. But I think that description gives you a sense of how Rodgers' mind works and why he was never close to hurrying a throw into coverage. You can see how the game moves slow enough for him to take it in with great detail, instant understanding and an innate sense of where his reads will lead him.

Monday night, Rodgers will face a Minnesota Vikings team that has gotten pressure on opposing quarterbacks (24 sacks) but rarely intercepted them (six in 298 attempts). The Vikings are expected to get veteran cornerback Antoine Winfield back for this game, but they will face a quarterback who is tightly cocooned in the mother of all zones. Hang on. History awaits.

San Diego tight end Antonio Gates is not expected to play against Miami, because of a lingering foot injury that kept him out of six games last season and last week’s game. I could see San Diego holding Gates out until after its Oct. 16 bye. Gates will be replaced by veteran Randy McMichael.

Cornerback Quentin Jammer is also doubtful. He suffered a hamstring injury last week. Promising rookie Marcus Gilchrist is expected to play for Jammer against Miami on Sunday.

The battered Chargers listed starting receivers Vincent Jackson (abdomen) and Malcom Floyd (groin) as questionable. But they both practiced fully Friday, so that is a good sign they will play Sunday. Running back Ryan Mathews (foot) and rookie defensive end Corey Liuget (ankle) are both probable after they both practiced fully Friday.

The Denver Broncos do not know if they will have the services of two key defensive players Sunday at Green Bay.

Both cornerback Champ Bailey (hamstring) and defensive end Elvis Dumervil (shoulder) have been listed as questionable on the injury report. Neither has been on the field since Week 1, and both were limited all week in practice.

Denver’s defense -- which was ranked No. 32 last season -- is ranked No. 16 this season. Getting Bailey and Dumervil back should only improve the Broncos.

Running back Knowshon Moreno is listed as probable. He has missed the past two games with a hamstring injury. He’ll likely back up Willis McGahee on Sunday while he shakes off the rust.

In Oakland, safety Michael Huff (concussion), defensive end Matt Shaughnessy (shoulder) and fullback Marcel Reece (ankle) are all questionable to play against New England on Sunday. All three are key cogs for the Raiders. Cornerback Chris Johnson (hamstring) and receiver Louis Murphy (sports hernia) are out, as expected. Receiver Jacoby Ford (hamstring) is listed as questionable, but he is expected to play for the first time since Week 1.

There are several Oakland players listed as probable, but they are all expected to play.

In Kansas City, cornerback Brandon Flowers (ankle) and safety Jon McGraw (shin) are questionable to play against visiting Minnesota on Sunday. They were both limited all week in practice. Rookie first-round pick Jon Baldwin is out. He has been limited in practice the past two weeks. He suffered a thumb injury in a reported fight with teammate Thomas Jones six weeks ago. It seems like Baldwin will play at some point, but you have to wonder how long it will take him to catch up when he does hit the field.

I am not surprised the player I voted No. 1 in our cornerback Power Rankings did not finish on top. Actually, I’m surprised I had company in voting Oakland Raiders free-agent Nnamdi Asomugha No. 1 on the list and that he was actually within man-to-man coverage distance of winner Darrelle Revis of the New York Jets.

John Clayton and Paul Kuharsky also voted Asomugha ahead of Revis. It was not enough to elevate Asomugha to the top of the cornerback food chain. Revis finished with 77 voting points and Asomugha finished with 75 points. Former Raider and current Green Bay Packers star Charles Woodson finished a distant third with 58 points.

Revis and Asomugha had a monopoly on all the first and second-place votes. That’s the way it should be. They are the two best corners in the game and they’d be our two starting cornerbacks in any dream game.

However, I gave Asomugha the edge because I think he has a longer résumé and he has had a bigger impact on the game. Asomugha has been in the league since 2003 and Revis has been in the league since 2007. Both men are in their prime.

I’ve seen passes completed against Revis in a limited view of his work. I’ve watched Asomugha play live for years. I can count on one hand the balls that have been completed against him. I’m sure plenty of teams will agree on Asomugha’s worth when he will be showered with lucrative free-agents offers once the lockout ends.

The AFC West influence didn’t end with Asomugha. Denver Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey finished fifth with 53 points. He was one vote behind the Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Asante Samuel. I had Bailey ranked fourth. He may be 32, but he is still playing at a high level. That’s why Denver just gave him a lucrative new deal to keep him off of the free-agent market.

In a bit of a surprise, Oakland’s Stanford Routt finished two points out of the top 10. I did not vote for Routt. I actually voted San Diego’s Quentin Jammer 10th. I think Jammer is an underrated player, so I’m not surprised I was alone in recognizing him. Routt received two votes, including a sixth-place spot by Clayton.

I like Routt and I’m interested to see what he does, in 2011 after signing a fat, new contract. Especially if Asomugha leaves and Routt is the No. 1 cornerback in Oakland. I think Routt was awarded in this ranking for his strong “burn rate" numbers. I’ll be prepared to put Routt in the top 10 next year if he performs well in 2011.

Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Brandon Flowers received three voting points. Like Routt, I could see myself considering Flowers next year. Former Oakland player DeAngelo Hall finished ninth and former Charger Antonio Cromartie received five points. I didn’t consider either because I think they are both overrated. Neither Oakland nor San Diego misses those two players.

Overall, this exercise shows that is a strong time for cornerback play in the AFC West.

LSU's Patrick Peterson might be the best player in the 2011 NFL draft, but history stands firmly against him becoming the first overall choice.

A cornerback has never gone first overall in a draft.

Pat Yasinskas' piece on the matter got me thinking about the Arizona Cardinals' and San Francisco 49ers' outlook for the position this year. Arizona picks fifth. San Francisco picks seventh. A cornerback could stand as the highest-ranked player available when the Cardinals and 49ers choose. San Francisco in particular has a clear need at the position.

What to do? And what about that history on taking cornerbacks early in the draft?

Let's set aside quarterback for the sake of this discussion. The 49ers and Cardinals both need one. Both would have to strongly consider drafting one in the first round if they had one of the prospects rated highly. Let's assume, for our purposes, that they head in another direction near the top of the draft.

Scouting reports on Peterson suggest he's a special talent, not only at cornerback but as a returner. The 49ers could use his services in both capacities.

The Cardinals have more pressing needs in other areas. Their new defensive coordinator, Ray Horton, is a former secondary coach and NFL cornerback. He'll have a strong opinion on Peterson, but he also badly needs pass-rush help at outside linebacker. If the Cardinals have an outside linebacker rated nearly as high as Peterson, they'll have to consider upgrading their pass rush.

A quick look at the eight cornerbacks drafted among the top seven overall choices in the past 15 drafts, ordered by overall position:

Third overall

Shawn Springs, Seattle Seahawks (1997): Springs picked off 33 passes and went to one Pro Bowl in 13 seasons. Injuries dogged him. He started 10 or fewer games six times. Springs also served a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's policy on steroids and anabolic substances. Springs was a good player for a long time, but his raw talent suggested he would make a greater impact.

Fourth overall

Charles Woodson, Oakland Raiders (1998): Woodson is a seven-time Pro Bowl choice. He was the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in 2009. He played a key role in Green Bay's development into a Super Bowl champion. Woodson has 47 interceptions and has returned 10 of them for touchdowns. These are the sorts of credentials that will make Woodson a candidate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Fifth overall

Terence Newman, Dallas Cowboys, 2003: Newman has two Pro Bowl appearances in his past four seasons and 28 career interceptions. He has started 16 games six times in eight seasons. The Cowboys signed Newman to a lucrative extension in 2008. They like him. Newman is a very good player. Sometimes that is good enough, even for prospects drafted this early. The two players drafted immediately after Newman -- Johnathan Sullivan and Byron Leftwich -- make the Cowboys' decision look quite smart by comparison.

Bryant Westbrook, Detroit Lions, 1997: Injuries derailed Westbrook's career, preventing complete analysis. Westbrook suffered a torn Achilles' tendon in his fourth season and another one in his sixth season. He was out of the league by age 28. Westbrook picked off 13 passes and bounced back from injuries admirably, but they caught up to him in the end.

Quentin Jammer, San Diego Chargers, 2002: The Chargers named Jammer one of the 50 greatest players in their history despite perceptions that he hasn't quite lived up to expectations. Those perceptions could be misguided. Jammer is not flashy, but he is a good, durable cornerback. Nnamdi Asomugha and Champ Bailey have overshadowed him in the AFC West and made it tough for Jammer to earn Pro Bowl recognition.

Sixth overall

Pacman Jones, Tennessee Titans (2005): Off-field problems ran Jones out of the league. He returned with Cincinnati but has not come close to meeting expectations.

Seventh overall

Joe Haden, Cleveland Browns (2010): Haden picked off six passes during his rookie season. It's too early to size up his career, obviously, but Haden is off to a promising start.

Champ Bailey, Washington Redskins (1999): Ten Pro Bowl appearances and shutdown coverage skills make Bailey an obvious choice for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Not much more to say.

The San Diego Chargers don’t want Thursday night's game to be their final home date of the season. So, they better be the same Chargers team that beat the visiting Chiefs, 31-0, on Sunday and not the San Diego team that lost to Oakland by 15 points at home Dec. 5. The Chargers must win-out, and hope the Chiefs stumble once, so San Diego can win its fifth straight AFC West crown.

Here are five things to look for in San Diego's regular-season home finale against San Francisco:

Can Rivers keep it under 30? It is clear the Chargers' best recipe of winning is to keep quarterback Philip Rivers’ pass totals down. San Diego is 1-6 when Rivers tosses more than 30 passes in a game this season. It is 6-0 when Rivers throws less than 30 passes in a game. That is resounding proof to the Chargers that they must have balance to win.

Chargers are using the shotgun well: When Rivers does pass against the 49ers, it won’t be a surprise if he uses the shotgun. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Rivers completed 15 of 17 passes for 204 yards and a touchdown pass while using the shotgun against the Chiefs. I’m sure the Chargers will try to stay hot by using the same formation just four days after it worked so well against Kansas City.

Third-down madness: The San Diego defense was dominant on third down against the Chiefs, holding them to no conversion in 11 attempts. San Francisco has converted just 34 percent of its third-down attempts this season, tied for the fifth-lowest percentage in the NFL.

Getting it done, Cason: Focus on San Diego cornerback Antoine Cason. The Chargers’ top pick in 2008, Cason has ably taken over for the spectacular but inconsistent Antonio Cromartie, who was traded to the Jets in the offseason. Cason has played well the past several weeks opposite Quentin Jammer, and his pass-defense numbers have been among the league's best this season.

The Chargers may want to go up the middle again: According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Chargers ran the ball well up the middle against the Chiefs. I’d expect the Chargers to try to force the ball down the 49ers’ throat as well. More than a half of San Diego's 207 rushing yards against Kansas City were gained on plays up the middle. A running game that wears down a defense up the gut, plus the presence of Rivers, makes San Diego’s offense difficult to contain.

SAN DIEGO –- One of the most followed and intriguing storylines of the days leading up to Sunday's NFL play involved the San Diego Chargers.

They just chose to ignore it.

While Matt Cassel’s appendectomy Wednesday made national headlines and doused the city of Kansas City in worry in advance of the Chiefs’ biggest game in four years, the Chargers weren’t exactly hitting the refresh buttons on their computers looking for Cassel updates.

All the Chargers were doing -- especially the defense -- was rehashing the events of last Sunday, when the Raiders thrashed them 28-13. The Raiders ran for 251 yards on the No. 1 defense in the NFL, giving the Chargers acute stomach pain of their own. That was all San Diego focused on. It needed to find a way to not get gutted by the run, no matter whether Cassel would make a fast recovery, the winless Brodie Croyle would hit the field for the first time in more than a year or if the legendary Len Dawson would come down from the radio booth.

“To be honest, we really never talked about the Cassel thing -- we thought it was going to be him,” Chargers safety Eric Weddle said. “Guys weren’t looking at the Internet [Saturday night]. We thought it was Cassel until we heard he didn’t make the trip. But the truth was, it was about us and getting back to what we do and that’s stopping the run. That was the focus.”

Added San Diego cornerback Quentin Jammer: “It didn’t matter if it was Cassel or Brodie Croyle. We just couldn’t let what happened against Oakland happen again. It was all about stopping that great running game.”

I guess we all wasted our time following the Cassel saga.

Still, a healthy Cassel could have given the Chiefs a better chance than Croyle -- now 0-10 as an NFL starter -- did in a dominating 31-0 San Diego win on Sunday. But the way San Diego was playing, it's doubtful Cassel, who could return next week, would have been the difference between victory and defeat.

San Diego held Kansas City to 67 yards of total offense, while its own offense had great balance, compiling 426 total yards. Because of the great defensive effort and balanced offensive attack, San Diego held the ball for 40 minutes, 10 seconds.

The result of the utter San Diego domination is a tight AFC West race. Kansas City is now 8-5 and leads the Chargers (7-6) by one game with three games to go. Oakland fell to 6-7 and remains two games behind Kansas City after a 38-31 loss at Jacksonville.

The Chiefs are still in control of the division and can secure their first playoff berth since 2006 by winning at St. Louis next week and then beating Tennessee and Oakland at home to end the season. Kansas City is 6-0 at home. With the benefit of an easy final three games, the Chargers are still in win-out mode with a home game against San Francisco looming on Thursday and back-to-back road games in Cincinnati and Denver.

A win at San Diego would have put the Chiefs one win from the division crown. But the Chargers were clearly not ready to give up their four-year hold on the division, even though that appeared to be the case in a lackluster loss to the Raiders, which ended a four-game San Diego winning streak and was the team’s first December loss since 2005.

“We were bad against Oakland,” Jammer said. “Getting better started Monday morning. We had to go out and make sure we were better than what we showed last week. We were not good last week.”

The task was tall. Kansas City entered the game with the NFL’s best running attack. But with Croyle playing very conservatively, the Chargers teed off on Kansas City’s running game. San Diego held Jamaal Charles to 40 yards on 10 carries and Thomas Jones to one yard on three carries. It was a season low for both players.

Croyle didn’t help. The Chargers never had reason to respect the pass Sunday. Croyle finished 7-for- 17 passing for 40 yards. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Croyle was 0-for-8 on passes that traveled 10 yards or more. Croyle hadn’t played since Week 13 of last season and it showed.

With Croyle not a factor and the Chiefs running most of the time on first and second down, the Chargers simply hunkered down and were much more aggressive and physical against the run Sunday than they were against the Raiders. Kansas City was 0-for-11 on third down. It had a total of five first downs.

“I was just a matter of focus,” Weddle said.

Kansas City coach Todd Haley was disappointed his entire team was listless in a game of this magnitude without Cassel, who missed the entire week of practice.

“We needed the whole team to step up and play our best game,” Haley said. “We didn’t come close to doing it.”

A week ago, the now refocused Chargers knew exactly how Haley felt.

Notable players: QB Philip Rivers, RB LaDainian Tomlinson, K Nate Kaeding, LB Shawne Merriman, DT Jamal Williams, C Nick Hardwick, FB Lorenzo Neal, ST Kassim Osgood, TE Antonio Gates, LT Marcus McNeill, CB Quentin Jammer.

Analysis: Unlike the other three teams in the AFC West, the memory of San Diego’s greatest team doesn’t bring back happy thoughts for Chargers fans.

The memories are tough and raw. Oh, what could have been.

San Diego has never won a Super Bowl. This team was its best chance. The 2006 San Diego Chargers were loaded.

Then they went out and blew it in the playoffs.

I was in San Diego for the team’s AFC divisional playoff game against New England and the town was buzzing all weekend. The Chargers were an NFL-best 14-2 and the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs. San Diego was unbeaten at home in the regular season. Marty Schottenheimer’s team was expected to go to, and probably win, the Super Bowl.

Then came the fourth quarter of the New England game. The Patriots stunned San Diego by scoring 11 points in a little more than seven minutes to knock off the Chargers, 24-21.

The dream season was over and the Chargers were never the same again. Schottenheimer, who didn’t get along with general manager A.J. Smith anyway, was sent packing and was replaced by Norv Turner.

Running back LaDainian Tomlinson was the NFL MVP after an incredible season in which he ran for 1,815 yards and scored an NFL-record 28 rushing touchdowns. Philip Rivers took over for the departed Drew Brees after sitting for two years and played well right away. The defense was suffocating and opportunistic.

The 2006 Chargers were good enough to win a Super Bowl. They just couldn’t get it done.

Most impressive win: A 23-13 victory over visiting Pittsburgh. The Chargers bounced back from a tough loss in Baltimore to handle the defending Super Bowl champions in Week 5. They made a statement in that game.

Rocky times: The Chargers had some off-field issues in 2006. Linebacker Steve Foley was shot after a confrontation with an off-duty police officer days before the start of the season, creating a major distraction. Shaun Phillips stepped in and played very well in Foley’s absence.

Safety Terrence Kiel was arrested at the team’s facility during the season for possession of controlled substances. Kiel, who didn’t play for San Diego after 2006, was killed in an auto accident in July 2008.

Honorable mention:

1963: The Chargers won the AFL title after an 11-3 season. They were dominant, fielding the best offense and defense in the league.

1980: They lost to the AFC championship game to Oakland. This was an offensive juggernaut (418 points, 26.1 ppg).

1994: This team has a special place in San Diego fans’ hearts. It’s the only time the Chargers made the Super Bowl.

Antoine Cason is not focused on the big-picture implications of Antonio Cromartie's trade from the Chargers to the New York Jets.

Cason, the Chargers’ 2008 first-round pick, is just focused on getting better.

“The trade was out of my control and it was none of my business,” Cason said Friday. “My focus has to be myself and improving.”

In reality, though, the trade affects Cason greatly. With Cromartie out of San Diego -- he was dealt to the Jets on Thursday night for a 2011 third-round pick that could become a second-round pick based on Cromartie's playing time – Cason is now set to start at cornerback opposite Quentin Jammer.

One of the reasons why San Diego was willing to trade Cromartie was because it feels Cason is ready to take on the full-time starting role.

Cason lost his nickel job to safety Steve Gregory in October. But he ended the season strong, playing a lot of cornerback. Cason has shown he is prone to making big plays and he is a ball hawk.

“I learned during the season that I wasn’t working hard enough. I thought I was,” Cason said. “It was a great learning experience … I’m completely prepared for this opportunity. I’m very confident in my abilities.”

He needs to be because Cason is now a starting NFL cornerback.

Antonio Cromartie’s last mistake as a San Diego Charger was against the New York Jets.

Now, Cromartie is a Jet. Good luck getting this guy to tackle, Rex Ryan.

One of the final straws for San Diego with Cromartie came in the AFC divisional playoffs against the Jets when Cromartie simply stopped pursuing New York running back Shon Greene at the line of scrimmage. Greene went on to score on a long touchdown that proved to be the game winner in the Jets’ 17-14 upset win.

He has been on the trade market all offseason. San Diego will get a third-round pick in 2011 that can increase to a second-round pick based on playing time. If Cromartie starts as expected, this should become a very good pick.

This is a good deal for San Diego. The Chargers were done with Cromartie and they could have cut him if they couldn’t trade him.

San Diego won’t miss him. Cromartie is an overrated player. He burst onto the NFL scene with 10 interceptions in 2007. However, he’s had a total of five interceptions the two seasons combined since.

He is a major liability in run support and he has had issues in the locker room.

San Diego will now move on and start 2008 top-pick Antoine Cason opposite Quentin Jammer at cornerback. Cason is ball hawk, who is growing into his own.

San Diego will not be hurt by this trade as it moves away from the Cromartie.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Most teams have a historical trouble spot, and for the Titans’ entire life in Tennessee it’s been receiver.

They’ve struck out with high draft picks. They’ve failed to develop mid- and low- round guys they’ve selected in droves. They’ve missed on free agents. They’ve been unlucky with injuries.

In 2005 they liked Vincent Jackson, but watched him go late in the second round to San Diego, where he’s developed into a consistent threat. Eight picks later they took Courtney Roby in their third round. He’s now returning kicks in New Orleans while the Titans will have to defend Jackson Christmas night in a crucial game at LP Field.

ESPN Stats & Information says Jackson has been the targeted on more throws that have been in the air for at least 15 yards than any other receiver in the NFL. On those 52 chances, he had 27 catches for 715 yards, a 26.5 average and four scores.

The Titans try to spread it out and veteran Justin Gage has missed time with a back injury. Still, they don't have a pass-catcher close to Jackson in terms of long-pass situational production, let alone overall output (63 catches, 1,097 yards, 9 touchdowns). Rookie receiver Kenny Britt leads the Titans wideouts in both receptions (40) and receiving yards (674).

The hit rate’s been low, but Tennessee has produced some receivers, Derrick Mason most notable among them. And Mike Heimerdinger thinks a trio of Mason, Kevin Dyson and Drew Bennett at their peak together might have been his best group in his two terms as the Titans coordinator.

His trio now is productive with upside and seems to have a bright future with quarterback Vince Young, who replaced Kerry Collins as starter eight games ago.

Britt appears to be worth every bit of the first-round pick they spent on him; the inconsistent Gage has made more plays since the quarterback switch but has only caught 45 percent of the passes thrown his way according to ESPN Stats & Information; and though drops are a significant issue as well for free-agent addition Nate Washington, he has produced a team-best six touchdown catches. (Gage and Britt are tied for second on the team with three touchdown receptions each.)

In the eight games with Young as the starter, the Titans have the second-most prolific offense in the NFL. Their 398 yards-per-game average trails only the Saints (413.9). Tennessee's 29.5 points-per-game average is tied with Philadelphia for second behind New Orleans (30.6).

When those receivers have made plays for Young, it’s opened things up for the team’s featured player, Chris Johnson. That’s the goal No. 1 for the Titans, who are 7-7 and need to win out and get help to keep their AFC wild-card playoff hopes alive.

San Diego’s starting corners Antonio Cromartie and Quentin Jammer have three picks apiece for the league’s 13th-rated pass defense. They’re both 6-feet tall, but the Titans' three primary wideouts are bigger. Britt and Gage are certainly capable of going up over them to get passes.

A nationally televised game is a good place for Britt, Gage and Washington to perform if they want a broad audience to believe the Titans are figuring things out at the position.

Four other things I’ll be watching or wondering about Christmas night as Chargers-Titans unfolds:

Bad blood: Shawne Merriman is still, um, annoyed about a play in a 2007 game where he felt Kevin Mawae and David Stewart teamed up to try to hurt him. Two physical fronts here hardly have a love affair from their two games that season, Chargers wins in the regular season and the first round of the playoffs.

Mawae doesn’t mind when opponents are worrying about him, and he will use it to try to use psychology as an aid on at least a couple plays.

Controlling Gates: Chargers tight end Antonio Gates causes a matchup problem for everyone. He can run over DBs and past linebackers. The Titans best coverage linebacker, Keith Bulluck, is out for the season. The Titans would be nuts to ask Gerald McRath or Colin Allred to handle him much. Nickel back Vincent Fuller’s physical, tough and responsible, but he gives up 70 pounds and three inches to Gates. I expect he will spend a lot of time on Gates, doing what he can to hold him up. Help better arrive quickly for gang tackling.

Making it hard for Rivers: Philip Rivers is gaining traction as the quarterback who should be talked about right after Peyton Manning and Drew Brees. How might the Titans have their best chance to limit the league’s third-rated passer who carries a league-high 8.76 average gain into the game?

Get him out of situations where he’s excelled. Rivers is gettable -- the Chargers have given up 24 sacks, which puts them in the bottom half of the league. The Titans need to rush well with their front four, because with the two kid backers on the field they can’t afford to bring any help.

Other pieces of the recipe for potential success against a good quarterback are hardly unpredictable: Get Rivers in third and long, because he’s got a 91.9 rating on third down. And don’t allow him to work with a lead in the fourth quarter. His passer rating in the fourth period is 98.8.

Punting contest: Brett Kern’s been a wonderful find for Tennessee, and his punts have helped out a great deal with field position. His 37.8 yard net isn’t among the league’s best numbers, but he’s been timely. His counterpart, Mike Scifres, is capable of controlling a game, as he did in the Chargers’ win over the Colts in the playoffs last season. The Titans' return game has been an abomination this year, so don’t expect it to handle Scifres' boomers very well. Remember, every fair catch amounts to a play that wasn’t a turnover. Chargers punt returner Darren Sproles, meanwhile, can be a major threat.

SAN DIEGO --- Vincent Jackson just takes over.

The San Diego receiver caught a 34-yard touchdown pass from Philip Rivers to give the Chargers a 21-13 lead. For some reason, Cincinnati was single covering the dynamic Jackson. It was his second touchdown catch of the day. Rivers has three touchdown passes.

The Chargers struck quickly. The touchdown came two plays after San Diego cornerback Quentin Jammer had an interception at the Cincinnati 40.

The Bengals look flat after they played with a lot of emotion early in the first game after the death of receiver Chris Henry. But now, the Bengals look tired. Plus, the San Diego crowd is going nuts.

It may be tough for the Bengals to rebound.

SAN DIEGO -- LaDainian Tomlinson's days as a great running back are probably behind him. His days as a San Diego Charger may be numbered as well.

But as the Chargers continue to show that they intend to be a team to be reckoned with in January, Tomlinson still has a significant role. It may not be as a game-breaker anymore. But Tomlinson, 30, is still the most dangerous and the most used player in the NFL at the goal line.

When San Diego settled down near the goal line in their 43-14 pummeling of the sloppy and overmatched Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, everyone in the house knew what the Chargers were going to do.

The entire stadium started to chant, “L.T., L.T., L.T.”

And the ball went to Tomlinson. Tomlinson scored on runs of 1 yard and 3 yards. He tried to get another touchdown, but he was stripped of the ball at the goal line in the fourth quarter. The Chargers challenged the close call, but they were denied.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, Tomlinson leads the NFL with 26 goal-line touches. He has seven touchdowns at the goal line, which is also a league high.

Even though he had only 39 yards on 13 carries Sunday, his work near the goal line shows Tomlinson is still a big part of this team. He said he was motivated when he was introduced as part of the franchise's 50th anniversary team prior to the game. Eleven current Chargers are on the team.

This is far from Tomlinson's last honor. Tomlinson is probably headed to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He moved into 10th place on the all-time rushing list Sunday with 12,257 yards.

“It was a special day,” Tomlinson said.

Tomlinson is on pace for the least productive season of his nine-year career. He has 458 yards on 135 carries and is averaging 3.4 yards per carry, which would be a career low if the season ended today.

It took Tomlinson and the Chargers several weeks to agree on a restructured contract to ensure his return in 2009. There is a good chance San Diego will decide to part ways with Tomlinson after this season.

Although Tomlinson's golden days in San Diego may only be a memory, he continues to show he can produce when it counts.

The following are other key aspects of Sunday's game:

San Diego keeps charging: San Diego is one of the hottest teams in the NFL as its enters December, which has been Charger-friendly in recent years.

San Diego has won six straight games. It is 8-3 and leads the 7-4 Broncos by one game in the AFC West. San Diego, which plays at Cleveland next week, has two games remaining with teams with winning records. The Chargers look poised to make a run at the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs and a first-round bye.

The win over Kansas City gave San Diego a 5-1 record against AFC West opponents as it finished division play. The Chargers' only blemish was a home loss to the Broncos, which San Diego avenged last week with a 32-3 win in Denver.

San Diego has registered back-to-back 29-point wins. During San Diego's six-game win streak, it has outscored opponents by 105 points.

The Chargers are smoking into the final stretch, which is good news for them, because they always play well in December. Quarterback Philip Rivers is 14-0 as the Chargers' starter in December. The team is 9-0 under coach Norv Turner in the month.

San Diego plays relentless defense: The San Diego defense has been terrific during its winning streak. It has allowed an opponent more than 20 points just once during the streak. San Diego has surrendered a total of 17 points in the past two games.

Pressuring the quarterback has been a big part of the Chargers' defensive success. San Diego made Kansas City quarterback Matt Cassel uncomfortable all game. The Chargers had one sack, but Cassel was pressured into throwing an interception and he lost one of two fumbles. The lost fumble was returned by San Diego safety Paul Oliver for a touchdown.

“I think we're really playing well as a defense,” San Diego cornerback Quentin Jammer said. “The pressure is a big key.”

Charles and Chambers continue to shine: The reason there is hope for the 3-7 Chiefs is that their two best offensive weapons are still just getting acclimated.

Second-year running back Jamaal Charles had 93 yards on 14 carries. Receiver Chris Chambers continued to shine with a team-high seven catches for 70 yards and a 7-yard touchdown catch against his former team.

Charles has taken over this month as the Chiefs' top back in the aftermath of Larry Johnson's release. Charles is a game-breaker who looks like he could have a future in Kansas City.

Chambers has been fantastic for the Chiefs in the four games since the team claimed him off waivers earlier this month from San Diego. Chambers has 17 catches in four games and he looks like Cassel's favorite target.

When Dwayne Bowe returns from a four-game NFL suspension in two weeks, he will have some work to do to reclaim being the Chiefs' top receiver.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 11:

Will the Broncos be frisky this time around? The last time the Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers met (Oct. 19 in San Diego), the Broncos insulted the Chargers by holding a team huddle near the Chargers’ pregame warm-ups. The Chargers took offense and there was a pushing-and-shoving match. The Broncos proceeded to beat the Chargers, 34-23. After the game, many San Diego players expressed displeasure with the Broncos’ antics. San Diego linebacker Shawne Merriman said he’d see the Broncos again and make them aware of their disrespectful actions. On Sunday, the two teams meet with the division lead on the line. Will Denver try similar pregame antics after losing three straight games?

Are the Broncos going to copy the 2003 Vikings? I covered the 2003 Minnesota Vikings. They are known for being the only team to start 6-0 and not make the playoffs. Minnesota finished 9-7. After starting 6-0, they lost four straight. The Broncos are in danger of suffering the same fate. The Broncos are 6-3 after losing three straight games and a 3.5-game lead over the Chargers in the past four weeks. These type of nosedives just don’t happen often. Denver is the 12th team since 2001 to start 6-0. Nine of the other 11 teams finished 13-3 or better, one finished 12-4 and then there were the Vikings. If Denver loses to San Diego, it could be on its way to feeling Minnesota’s pain.

Charles and Chambers need to pick up the pace: Kansas City running back Jamaal Charles and wide receiver Chris Chambers need to pick up the slack for the loss of Dwayne Bowe. The team’s top receiver will start serving a four-game NFL suspension this week for using performance-enhancing substances. The Chiefs’ offense was starting to look decent with Charles coming off a 100-yard rushing game and Chambers playing well. Charles is taking over for the released Larry Johnson at tailback and Chambers and Bowe showed signs of being a nice receiving tandem. For the next month, starting Sunday at home against Pittsburgh, Charles and Chambers are going to have to help quarterback Matt Cassel.

How would Ochocinco fit in with the Raiders? For much of last year, Cincinnati receiver Chad Ochocinco wanted to be traded. There was speculation that Oakland would pursue Ochocinco. He fit the team's profile. He was talented, high profile, controversial and an impact player. But the Bengals stuck with Ochocinco and eventually everything worked out. The Bengals are 7-2 and Ochocinco is productive and happy. The Raiders still need an impact receiver. Yet, Oakland will have to deal with Ochocinco on Sunday as a Bengal. I’m sure Oakland wishes it would have found a way to make Ochocinco a Raider.

The Chargers are using a cornerback rotation: For the past two games, San Diego has been using cornerbacks Antonio Cromartie, Quentin Jammer and Antoine Cason in a rotation. The team has moved safety Steve Gregory into the nickel spot because they like his physical play. This move gets Cason, a talented playmaker, on the field. Denver uses several receivers, so this system could help San Diego on Sunday.