FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Amid all the fawning evaluations of New England as the greatest team in NFL history, perhaps admirers are too busy blowing kisses at quarterback Tom Brady to miss one tiny wart.
The Patriots are not the most talented team in the league.
San Diego is bigger, stronger and mouthier than New England.
“They do a lot of talking and try to punk you around out there on the field,” Patriots receiver Jabar Gaffney said of the big- mouth Bolts. San Diego is all that stands between New England, 18-0 and a date with history in the Super Bowl.
“I think we’re perceived as a trash-talking team, and I hate that,” Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson said.
Hmm, wonder why?
Maybe it’s because when San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers isn’t dissing Denver counterpart Jay Cutler, he’s jawing with bums in the cheap seats at Indianapolis.
Or perhaps it’s because as soon as Chargers defenders Igor Olshansky and Shawne Merriman open their mouths, it sounds like smack shouted from the turnbuckle of a pro rasslin’ match.
Or it could be because when asked about the infamous Spygate controversy that entangled the Patriots earlier this season, Tomlinson suggested New England’s motto was: “If you ain’t cheating, you ain’t trying.”
But in defiance of the Las Vegas oddsmakers who have established the Pats as prohibitive, double-digit favorites in today’s AFC championship game, San Diego might be the league’s one team not intimidated by the growing legend of New England.
It also helps that the Chargers have eight legit members of the Pro Bowl. While New England can boast of receiver Randy Moss, San Diego loudly answers with cornerback Antonio Cromartie. The roster of these Bolts is deeper than the Pacific Ocean.
New England coach Bill Belichick, who could color a sunny day with nothing except gray and black from a big box of 64 crayons, is not generally considered a funny guy.
Folks, however, laughed at Crabby Bill, thinking he was sandbagging, when Belichick suggested the Chargers were “the best team in the AFC,” adding that “the second half of the season, they’ve been better than anybody.”
Doubt him at your own risk. Who are we to argue with football genius, especially when the facts back up Belichick?
If how an NFL team plays down the stretch matters most, then San Diego has matched victories with New England, and has looked more impressive doing it, for nearly two months.
The Chargers and Patriots are unbeaten in a combined 15 games since Thanksgiving, but Belichick has looked inside revealing numbers the hype machine does not bother to compute. The average score of New England’s past seven victories? 30-20. That’s awesome, so long as you conveniently ignore the Pats’ vulnerability on an old, tiring defense manned by 34-year-old Tedy Bruschi, Rodney Harrison (35) and Junior Seau (39).
San Diego has ripped off eight consecutive victories the old-fashioned way. The Bolts strike down foes with defense, winning by an average count of 28-13 during their unbeaten streak.
Ten days ago, Denver coach Mike Shanahan warned deaf ears not to dismiss the Chargers, insisting: “San Diego is a team that has as talented personnel as anyone in the National Football League, especially on defense. If they put their best game together, they can beat both Indianapolis and New England.”
Want a breathless coronation of Brady and the Patriots? Turn on ESPN.
Want nine good reasons why San Diego has a shot in the AFC title game? Go to the videotape of the nine turnovers the Chargers forced against the Colts in two victories this season against Indy.
A New England team considered mightier than the Packers of Vince Lombardi led by a quarterback who’s cuter than Joe Montana should roll against the Chargers, banged up from the knee of Rivers to the big toe of tight end Antonio Gates. Right?
And there’s no reason to worry three of the Pats’ five losses during the past two seasons were on their home turf. Right?
“That’s the attitude we take every week: If we play well and do what we’re supposed to do, we are going to win,” New England linebacker Mike Vrabel said. “If you don’t have that attitude, I think guys are on the wrong team.”
Here’s the thing. When Vrabel looks in the eyes of San Diego, he will see players as fearless as the Patriots. And that’s talent talking.
Game on.
Mark Kiszla: 303-954-1053 or mkiszla@denverpost.com
