Aces out, Chargers still win

But San Diego will need the three injured players against the Patriots.

By DAVE GOLDBERG

ASSOCIATED PRESS

The last time the San Diego Chargers went to New England, they had Philip Rivers, LaDainian Tomlinson and a healthy Antonio Gates.

They lost anyway, 38-14.

Although the Chargers defeated the Indianapolis Colts 28-24 Sunday without their top players, they’ll have a hard time keeping up with the unbeaten Patriots in the AFC title game if their top players still are out. The same thing seems true in the NFC, where the New York Giants will head to Green Bay after upsetting Dallas 21-17 with a banged-up secondary missing its top three cornerbacks.

Back on Sept. 16, a Sunday night game in the second week of the season, the Patriots were just getting started on their 16-0 run and blowing away anyone in their path. Their margin of victory dropped markedly in the second half of the season, but New England will still be 17-0 when it plays host to the Chargers next Sunday.

“A lot’s happened since then,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said after the Chargers beat the Colts to qualify for a trip to Foxborough and the AFC title game. “We’ll definitely start all over on the preparations. It’s like it’s a new team.”

The first question for San Diego is the health of Rivers and Tomlinson, its starting quarterback and running back, who was the 2006 NFL MVP. Both injured their knees against the Colts and their status isn’t yet known for the conference championship. Gates played with a toe injury, but clearly wasn’t at full speed.

Both Rivers and Tomlinson said they hope to play. Coach Norv Turner said they both were questionable.

The Giants and Packers also played in the second week. That one was at Giants Stadium and the Packers won 35-13 before New York understood the defense installed by Steve Spagnuolo, its new coordinator.

That defense, with its stunts and twists, confused and harassed Tony Romo enough in the second half against Dallas Sunday to keep him from exploiting a secondary without Sam Madison, Aaron Ross and Kevin Dockery, its three top cornerbacks for most of the season.

Consider that Eli Manning’s revival — eight touchdown passes, just one interception and passer ratings of well over 100 in his last three games — all came in good weather. And he has attributed his problems in the four previous games to wind and cold.

Attention Eli: The long-range forecast for next Sunday in Green Bay is a high of 4 degrees.

If it turns into a ground battle, there’s the match-up that probably will be second only to Brett Favre-Eli in the pre-game hype: Ryan Grant, who rushed for 201 yards against in the 42-20 win over Seattle in the snow on Saturday vs. the Giants running backs.