GREEN BAY PACKERS @ SAN DIEGO CHARGERS 
Vegas Line: Chargers + 5.5
Rob’s Line: Chargers + 4.5
Would you trust quarterback Philip Rivers to win a game against this Green Bay Packers team? The San Diego Chargers may find that’s their only course of action this week as, apart from the Packers ranking only 24th in the league when running the ball, their one major flaw is defending the pass and they rank next to last in the league in that category.
Rivers is supremely talented, as is the whole team, but his recent failures aren’t difficult to spot. In his last three games, Rivers has thrown two touchdowns and five interceptions and his most glaring error occured in the national spotlight last Monday night when, with the Chargers driving in Kansas City territory in the last minute, looking to set up a winning field goal attempt, he fumbled center Nick Hardwick’s snap and the ensuing melee for the loose ball saw the Chiefs recover. The game went into overtime and KC duly won it in the extra period.
That result blew the AFC West wide open, but Rivers knows the loss was his fault. Then again, there’s been many losses since 2004 that have been his fault and to say that he’s an enigma would be an understatement. He has all the tools to take this team to the Super Bowl and this week he can see first hand a Super Bowl quarterback truly at the top of his game when Aaron Rodgers leads the Packers’ offense.
Rodgers has been phenomenal since the end of last season and you have to blink at his 20:3 TD to INT ratio. The superlatives lavished upon him are all deserved and you can read about all of them elsewhere as nothing I could add here would do him further justice. Quite simply though, he is the Green Bay Packers, much the same as Brett Favre was before him and he could leave a similar legacy. As I’ve written before in my weekly Power Rankings, the Packers might not just repeat, they may even Three-peat.
A healthy Packers’ team is worrisome for the folks of San Diego right now and the home team do have an injury concern of their own. Running back Ryan Mathews left the game last Monday with a groin injury, but his replacement, little known Curtis Brinkley, ably stepped in, running for 43 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown. However, he received a concussion late on and was only cleared to play this week on Friday so he’ll remain the backup behind a healthy again Mike Tolbert. The depth the Chargers have on their roster should have them blushing that they only sit with a 4-3 record and you have to say that it’s highly likely to be 4-4 come Sunday evening.
As I say, it’s likely unless Rivers can navigate his way past Green Bay’s secondary. The receiving talent he has in Vincent Jackson, Malcolm Floyd, Antonio Gates, Randy McMichael and Tolbert should have the Packers worried and it makes for an intriguing matchup. Looking at that, it’s easy to build a case in favour of the Chargers generating a lot of points and this could be a high scoring affair, but anything Rivers does, Rodgers can do better and if you’re brave enough to put your hard earned in the hands of Rivers, then I applaud your courage.
Conversely, yes, the Packers may very well win in a shootout, but not by the six points required to cover the spread so, while I really shouldn’t do this, I am going to take Rivers and the Chargers. Not necessarily to win from scratch of course, but I like the points on offer.
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