SAN DIEGO — The whole thing about the NFL, as opposed to the mind-numbing marathons that are a full year in baseball, basketball or hockey, is that the regular season, 16 individual, pressure-filled dramas, is supposed to mean something.
So how then, do you explain the San Diego Chargers? After underachieving throughout the year, it took a couple of fourth-quarter comebacks and a historic collapse by the Broncos to even get the team into the postseason. And the Chargers’ piddling 8-8 record looked even smaller when one considered that only three of the wins came against teams who didn’t play in the AFC Worst, er, West.
None of that seemed to bode well for Saturday’s wild-card contest against the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts, winners of nine straight games, seemed to not only represent a step out of the division, but a step up in class for the Chargers.
But in some ways, San Diego’s struggles in October and November have served the Chargers well in December, and on into the new year. In a game that should have and could have been lost seven ways to Sunday, the Chargers nonetheless prevailed, getting a 22-yard run by Darren Sproles in overtime to take a pulsating 23-17 win.
“The regular season is over,” wide receiver Chris Chambers said. “We learned from that experience and used it to our advantage. You’re not going to be given games in the NFL — you have to scratch and claw for everything.”
The Colts were led by the closest thing to NFL royalty — quarterback Peyton Manning. Having won his third league MVP trophy a day earlier, Manning was brilliant, both physically — completing 25-of-42 passes for 310 yards — and mentally, completing a 72-yard touchdown strike to Reggie Wayne that came when he used a quick count to catch the San Diego defense napping.
But the Chargers, the suddenly scrappy Chargers, proved to have too much depth for the Colts. With LaDainian Tomlinson’s playoff participation once again limited by injury — this year a pulled groin muscle — San Diego turned to Sproles, who was indomitable in running for 105 yards, including the game-winner. He had a combined 328 yards in rushing, receiving and kickoff and punt returns.
“Pound for pound, we know he’s the toughest guy on the team,” Chambers said.
But as good as Sproles was, he wasn’t any more important than Mike Scifres, the Chargers’ punter, who averaged 52.7 yards on his six punts, consistently pinning the Colts.
“He should get five game balls,” Indianapolis center Jeff Saturday said. “We couldn’t get outside our 10-yard line, and that’s a long way to have to tote it every time.”
It was a 52-yard Scifres punt that pinned the Colts on their 1 with 2:41 to play. Four plays later, Sproles returned an Indy punt 28 yards to the Colts’ 38. That set up a 26-yard Nate Kaeding field goal with 31 seconds left that forced overtime.
When the teams met at midfield, the Colts called heads, the coin flip came out tails. San Diego got the ball and held it for almost seven minutes, gaining an extra 25 yards on three costly Indianapolis penalties.
Those plays put the Chargers in field-goal range. But that became a moot point when Sproles scampered into the end zone, sending the Chargers to the divisional round of the playoffs.
The temptation after the win was to say that San Diego is now 9-8 on the season, but that would be untrue. The Chargers are 1-0, and by all indications, trending upwards.
Anthony Cotton: 303-954-1292 or acotton@denverpost.com
Game recap
What happened?
San Diego advances to the AFC divisional round with a 23-17 overtime victory over Indianapolis.
What it means
The Chargers became just the third 8-8 team to win a playoff game.
What’s next?
Depending on the outcome of today’s games, the Chargers will play next weekend at either Tennessee or Pittsburgh.
Quarter-by-quarter
First: Indianapolis takes a 7-0 lead on a 1-yard run by Joseph Addai.
Second: Chargers lead 14-10 at halftime on touchdown runs by LaDainian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles.
Third: Using a quick count, Peyton Manning throws 72-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne.
Fourth: Chargers tie game on 26-yard Nate Kaeding field goal with 31 seconds remaining.
OT: Winning the coin toss, Chargers march 75 yards, helped by three Indianapolis penalties, scoring on 22-yard run by Sproles.
