London diversion could be just what Chargers need
Prisco: Tough break for Saints
It's about time something good happens to the San Diego Chargers, and something has: They get to play their next game in London.
Normally, traveling halfway around the world is not what you'd consider a break in the schedule, but look at the alternative: The Chargers could have flown to New Orleans this weekend to play the Saints.
|
|
| Norv Turner: Catching a big break in England? (AP) |
If I'm the Chargers, I send Roger Goodell a dozen roses.
San Diego needs something to pick the Chargers up after a lackluster performance in Buffalo, and a trip to London might be just the ticket. I mean, look what it did for the Giants last year. They won there and later cited the experience as a factor in their playoff push to the Super Bowl.
The Boston Celtics won in London last year, too, though it was a preseason game. Nevertheless, they, too, won a championship, and maybe, just maybe, the Chargers should listen up in history class to appreciate what this trip could mean.
Of course, the Chargers can't be thinking about championships at the moment -- not when they're 3-4 and looking for anything that pulls them out of their funk. But that's why this game and this trip come at precisely the right time. I don't know that the Chargers must leave the country to find themselves, but I do know I like their chances of getting there in London a whole lot better than I do New Orleans.
"It's a good escape for us," said running back LaDainian Tomlinson. "I think it really gives us time to take a deep breath, time to get away from the national media in the States and really just have some time to ourselves -- to get close and bond a little bit.
"I honestly think that's why the Giants were successful last year. They were kind of going through the same struggles. They came here, and it kind of changed their season. We're hoping for the same kind of luck."
But it's not luck the Chargers need. It's a defense without holes. It's more consistent offensive line play. It's a running game. It's a first half where they lead.
All were missing in their most recent stop, a 23-14 loss to Buffalo in a game that said as much about the losers as it did the Bills. We already suspected Buffalo was a legitimate playoff threat, but that win certified it. We also suspected the Chargers were ready for lift-off after their resounding defeat of New England, only the loss continued to cover the club in uncertainty.
As you'd expect, the Chargers were the targets of criticism afterward -- only they weren't here to digest it. They're thousands of miles away in a country where people wonder more about Madonna's split with Guy Ritchie than the gaps in the Chargers' defense, and that's probably a welcome relief.
