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San Diego, California - History could be made at Qualcomm Stadium this weekend as the San Diego Chargers take on the Baltimore Ravens and LaDainian Tomlinson aims to equal Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith as the fourth-fastest player in NFL history to rush for 10,000 yards.

 

It is also a bit of a revenge game for a Chargers team that lost to the Ravens, 16-13, last October at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium. For the Chargers however, there’s more at stake than just revenge. Defending AFC West Champions and winners of the division crown twice in the last three years, the Chargers are entering the critical final six games of their schedule. They have three left at home and three on the road. The Chargers are tied with Denver for first place in the AFC West and the Bolts and Broncos hold a slight one-game lead over Kansas City. San Diego has won three straight at home and is 4-1 at home this year. Denver opens a two-game road trip this Sunday in Chicago and will play four of its final six games on the road.

 

The Chargers have won four of their last six overall, but they are coming off of an emotional loss in Jacksonville where a fourth quarter rally fell short and the Jaguars held on for a 24-17 win.

 

Baltimore comes into Sunday’s game having lost four straight, including a loss to Cleveland last Sunday in which the Browns tied the game on a controversial 51-yard field goal late in regulation and then won the game in overtime on a 33-yarder. At 4-6, Baltimore trails division-leading Pittsburgh (7-3) by three games. Tomlinson and the entire Chargers offense will be put to the test this Sunday by a Ravens defense that ranks sixth overall and third against the run. With the stout Ravens defense coming to town, it’s a good sign that the Chargers found a rhythm in their passing game, throwing for over 300 yards last Sunday against Jacksonville. Baltimore’s pass defense ranks 13th in the league, but the Ravens allow an average of 7.5 yards per pass completion, 10th-highest in the NFL.

 

San Diego’s defense leads the NFL with 17 interceptions, including 12 in the last three home games.

 

What a difference a year makes. In 2006, the San Diego Chargers and the Baltimore Ravens produced the 2 best records during the NFL regular season: 14-2 for the Chargers and 13-3 for the Ravens (tied with the Bears, who are currently 4-6). Neither San Diego nor Baltimore is where it wants to be right now, but both will be hungry for victory when they battle Sunday, Nov. 25, at Qualcomm Stadium at 4:15 ET. The Ravens, losers of 4 in a row for the 1st time since 2005, are 4-6, while the Chargers are 5-5, including 4-1 at home.

 

These 2 teams played one of the more memorable contests of the 2006 season when the Ravens won, 16-13, in Baltimore on 10/1. The winning touchdown came with 34 seconds left in the game when QB Steve McNair (currently injured) hit TE Todd Heap, who is also hurt now, with a 10-yard scoring toss.

 

The Chargers, losers in 2 of their past 3 games, dropped a 24-17 contest at Jacksonville last Sunday (11/18). The Ravens lost a heartbreaker at home to the Browns. Cleveland won in overtime, 33-30, on K Phil Dawson’s 33-yard field goal. The 3-point score came after it appeared that the Ravens had won the game, 30-27, on Matt Stover’s 47-yard FG with 26 seconds left in the contest. On the final play of regulation, Dawson’s 51-yarder was originally declared “no good,” and the Ravens were awarded the victory. After “discussion” among the officials, the kick was determined to be good, and the overtime followed.

 

After the Thanksgiving weekend trip to San Diego, the Ravens come back to M&T Bank Stadium for back-to-back games against New England (Monday, 12/3) and Indianapolis (12/9).

 

The Ravens lost to the Browns, 33-30, in overtime last Sunday when Cleveland K Phil Dawson made a 33-yard FG on the 1st possession of the extra period. In a bizarre ending to regulation, it appeared Baltimore had won the game on a 47-yard FG by K Matt Stover with 26 seconds remaining. Dawson’s subsequent 51-yarder as time expired was first declared “no good.” After more than 5 minutes of “discussion” among the game’s officials, the kick was declared “good,” making the score 30-30. Cleveland jumped to a 13-7 halftime lead on 2 Dawson FGs (28 and 39 yards) and a 1-yard RB Jamal Lewis run, while ILB Ray Lewis provided the Baltimore TD on a 35-yard INT return. A RB Willis McGahee 2-yard TD romp put the Ravens ahead, 14-13, in the 3rd quarter. Browns QB Derek Anderson got a 1-yard rushing TD, and FS Brodney Pool took a Ravens’ QB Kyle Boller INT 100 yards to put Cleveland back into the lead (27-14) later in the period. Two Stover FGs (34 and 41 yards), and a Boller to WR Devard Darling TD (27 yards) tied the game at 27 late in the 4th quarter. Boller was 22-of-41 for 279 yards, including 6 each to WR Derrick Mason and TE Quinn Sypniewski. Darling caught 4 for 107 yards, while RB Willis McGahee ran for 102 yards on 21 carries.

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