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

The San Diego Chargers (4-3) are on the road this weekend against the New York Giants (5-3).  The Giants did start off the season great, winning their first five games, but they have lost their last three and have been playing terrible.  I’m expecting the Giants to come out with a sense of urgency in this one though, so it should be a close game.  The Chargers offense should be successful on the ground since the Giants defense is giving up 113 rushing yards per game.  Once on top of the league in run-defense, the Giants have been struggling lately.  LaDainian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles should be ready to run in this one.  If they can find success, it will make things a whole lot easier for the always dangerous Philip Rivers.

The Chargers defense will not have an easy day, as I am expecting Eli Manning to bounce back from two straight terrible games.  This is a key part of the season and the Giants do not want to drop four straight.  Eli has not looked like himself lately and has been throwing a lot of interceptions lately, so the Chargers could get some turnovers.  They need to make sure they don’t let Brandon Jacobs get going either, as a good running game always makes Eli Manning better.  This should be a close game, but if the Chargers come out and play the way they are capable of and the Giants continue their recent struggles it could be a blowout.

FINAL SCORE PREDICTION:  San Diego Chargers 31, New York Giants 30

The San Diego Chargers (2-3) are coming off two straight losses and need to get themselves back into AFC West contention.  They should be able to get their record back to .500 this week as they are taking on the Kansas City Chiefs (1-5).  The Chiefs have been improving each week and are coming off their first win of the year, so the Chargers cannot overlook their opponent.  Larry Johnson is the Chiefs’ biggest weapon, even though he is only averaging 2.7 yards per carry.  With the Chargers defense giving up 141 rushing yards per game Johnson may have a break out game.

The Chargers defense may have some difficulty slowing down the Chiefs running game, but the Chargers offense should be too much for the Chiefs defense to handle.  Phillip Rivers and the Chargers passing game is putting up nearly 300 yards per game (284 avg) and LaDainian Tomlinson started to look like the old LT last week with 100 total yards (70 rushing, 30 receiving).  They also have Darren Sproles, so they should not have a problem with a Chiefs defense that gives up 380 yards per game.  The Chiefs may be able to stick around in the first half, but the Chargers are too good for them to stay close the whole game.  I think the Chargers will win convincingly and show that they are still one of the top teams in the AFC despite their poor record.

FINAL SCORE PREDICTION:  San Diego Chargers 34, Kansas City Chiefs 17

It’s hard to me to even consider the over here with Philip Rivers, LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates all banged up.  The Chargers can’t afford to lose any of those three guys if they want to be a playoff team.  That’s not to mention Shawne Merriman trying to play with a very bad wheel.  The Chargers are certainly talented enough to win 11 or more games in 2008 but I’m not betting on it.

With the Chargers returning most of their team from last season it seems like a play on the over is warranted.  The Chargers should clean up against the division as no one in the AFC West will be prepared to beat them in 2007.  The only thing that scares me is that Norv Turner is a lousy head coach.  Other than that it’s all systems go for 2007 so take the over.

The over/under for Chargers wins is 8 1/2.  The Chargers are 24-1 to win the Super Bowl and 12-1 to win the AFC.

I suggest you put some cash on the under.  Philip Rivers is going to have a rough time this year.