You know, considering Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler is from Santa Claus, Indiana, you would expect him to play better on Christmas Eve.
However, you can't put this debacle all on Cutler.
The Chargers outplayed the Broncos in every phase last night. They were more crisp on offense. They were far more aggressive on defense. Worst of all, if you're a Broncos fan, the Chargers definitely had far more energy and seemed to want it more.
That last part seems slightly disturbing.
The conventional wisdom heading into this game was that even though the Broncos were out of playoff contention--they actually had more to play for. The theory went, some Broncos were actually playing to save their jobs. What could provide more motivation than playing to salvage your career?
If that is the case, a lot of guys are going to be looking for work.
Upon further inspection, sure, the Broncos had a lot to play for, but, I think, the Chargers actually had more on the line than the Broncos.
Two reasons for this:
1) After watching this team last night, it's hard to imagine they were actually 5-5 at one point this season. With last night's 23-3 victory, the Chargers have now won five straight. This team needs momentum. If for whatever reason, the Patriots, Cowboys, or Packers were to stumble at any point down the stretch, those teams know in the back of their minds that their entire body of work is solid enough to overlook a poor outing. San Diego is not in that rarefied air. This team needs momentum, they need to keep gaining steam, any minor blip for them, for whatever reason, would stunt the collective growth this team has been thriving on lately. Sure, they have not lost in more than a month, but this team is peaking at the right time: not too early, not too late--just at the right time--and while a loss wouldn't have affected their entry into the postseason, it would possibly have affected their seeding. That leads to my second reason...
2) If for no other reason, anything that could get the Chargers into the number-three seed in the AFC Playoffs would be ideal. A third seed allows them to avoid playing Jacksonville in the first round. Right now, I can't think of anybody who wants to play the Jaguars. A number-three seed also puts them in a situation where they would not have to possibly face the 15-0 Patriots, until the AFC Championship Game.
I think that is enough incentive to have played well last night. They did.
The Broncos, on the other hand? What is there left to say? Major changes have got to be on the horizon.
The good news for Denver: they still have one game left.
The bad news for Denver: they still have one game left.
Merry Christmas, everyone.
-"Z"
