The San Diego Chargers (12-3) are hosting the Washington Redskins (4-11) and since the Chargers have sealed a first-round bye I wouldn’t expect the starters to play much in the second half.  The Chargers have two weeks off after this game though, so Phillip Rivers and his receivers should play most of the first half to keep some sort of rhythm going.  I wouldn’t expect LaDainian Tomlinson to get a lot of carries though, due to his age and general wear and tear.  The Chargers should be smart and rest him as much as they can.  This will be a good opportunity for the Chargers’ back-ups to show what they have and some of the young players can show Chargers fans what they might see in the future.

The Redskins will be playing with all of their starters, as their playoff hopes fell out the window long ago.  Quarterback Jason Campbell has had some good games this season, and if he goes up against a lot of back-ups he will probably take advantage and have another solid game.  The Redskins are not a good football team though, and the Chargers should be able to play them tough regardless of who is playing.  I expect the starters to get some playing time, so I am giving the Chargers a slight edge at home.

PREDICTION:  San Diego Chargers 27, Washington Redskins 24

The San Diego Chargers (9-3) have reeled off seven straight wins and they are looking to make it eight this Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys (8-4).  Both offenses are capable of scoring a lot of points, so the Chargers defense needs to be ready to attack Tony Romo.  Despite losing last week, Romo went off for 392 yards and 3 touchdowns.  The Chargers cannot let him put up those kinds of numbers  this week.  The running game is even stronger, averaging 130 rushing yards per game, so it will be a good challenge for the Chargers defense.

I think the Chargers will be able to make it eight straight, even if the defense doesn’t play great.  That is because Philip Rivers is playing very well and he finally has a strong running game to rely on as well.  LaDainian Tomlinson has stepped it up in the last few weeks, and with him taking some pressure of off Rivers the Chargers offense should have a lot of success.

FINAL SCORE PREDICTION:  San Diego Chargers 34, Dallas Cowboys 28

The San Diego Chargers (7-3) are hosting the Kansas City Chiefs (3-7) Sunday, a team they beat 37-7 earlier in the season.  The Chargers offense should be able to get pretty much whatever they want in this one.  I would like to see the Chargers go to their running game a lot, as it has been getting better lately and they could use this game to continue to improve it.  LaDainian Tomlinson has been looking more and more like his old self lately and a big game for him could help boost his confidence more.  Philip Rivers can still do his thing in the passing game, as the Chiefs give up 251 passing yards per game.  They can’t play down to their opponent though, or it could come back to hurt them.

The Chargers defense was able to pick Chiefs’ quarterback Matt Cassel three times in their last match-up, so it seems like they have Cassel figured out.  Cassel is a capable quarterback though and I am sure he will come in with some major adjustments.  Still, the Chiefs don’t have a very strong running game and I expect the Chargers to build an early lead anyway, so Cassel will be forced to air it out a lot.  That means more opportunities for turnovers, which gives Philip Rivers more opportunities.  I don’t think this will be close and the Chargers win easy.

FINAL SCORE PREDICTION:  San Diego Chargers 31, Kansas City Chiefs 13

The San Diego Chargers (6-3) have been improving each week while the Denver Broncos (6-3) have been on steady decline after starting the season 6-0.  The Chargers defense has had to prepare for two quarterbacks all week since Broncos’ starting quarterback Kyle Orton is still battling a sprained ankle and has been listed as a “game time decision.”  If Orton cannot go, which is likely, then Chris Simms will start for the Broncos.  This is very good news for the Chargers as Simms looked awful last week when he came in for the injured quarterback.  He only completed 3 of 13 passes and threw an interception.  If Simms is the starter the Broncos will probably run the ball even more, and the Chargers are giving up too many yards on the ground (119 yard avg.) so they need to be ready to stop Knowshown Moreno and Correll Buckhalter.  Moreno is the better back lately, and rushed for 97 yards on 18 carries last game.

The Chargers offense has been looking very good lately, but the Broncos do have a good defense.  They do a great job defending the passing game, only giving up 186 passing yards per game.  That doesn’t mean Philip Rivers and the Chargers’ receivers can’t find success against the Broncos.  Rivers is due for a big game, so I think he may be able to find receiver Vincent Jackson for some big plays.  Also, LaDainian Tomlinson looked like his old self last week, rushing for 96 yards and 2 touchdowns on 24 carries.  If LT has another game like that, things will be a lot easier for Rivers and the passing game and they should be able to get the win.

FINAL SCORE PREDICTION:  San Diego Chargers 24, Denver Broncos 17

The San Diego Chargers (5-3) are looking for their fourth straight win, but it will be a challenge as they host the Philadelphia Eagles (5-3).  The Eagles are coming off a close loss where they held the high-powered Cowboys’ offense to 21 points.  The Chargers have a very good offense, but if the Eagles play defense like they did last week then the Chargers defense better be ready as well.  Donovan McNabb can put up some big numbers, and he has a big player receiver to go to in DeSean Jackson.  The Chargers cannot let Jackson beat them deep as he can really burn a defense.

The Chargers running game is still getting almost nothing, but LaDainian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles can still make an impact.  First off, if they can get something going on the ground then I think the Chargers will win for sure.  That hasn’t been happening though, so Sproles and LT can make things happen from short passes and screens.  They only had 30 yards combined in the passing game last week, so they will need more than that if the running game continues to get nothing.  Still, I think the Chargers have a very talented offense and I think Rivers will lead them to a close win.

FINAL SCORE PREDICTION:  Philadelphia Eagles 28, San Diego Chargers 31