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Chargers look to complete historic comeback

Dec 23, 2008 - 4:31 PM Denver (8-7) at San Diego (7-8), 8:15 pm EST

SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- The San Diego Chargers were left for dead after a 22-16 Week 13 loss to the Atlanta Falcons dropped them to 4-8.

A month later, the Chargers look to complete an unprecedented comeback when they host the Denver Broncos on Sunday night in a game that will decide the AFC West title.

The contest was moved to prime time as part of the NFL's flex scheduling.

No team in NFL history has made the playoffs after trailing by three games with three to play.

The Broncos (8-7) held a seemingly comfortable three-game advantage following a 24-17 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 14.

However, Denver has dropped its last two contests while the Chargers (7-8) have won their last three to climb within one game of the division lead.

An 8-8 finish would be enough for San Diego to win the division because it would have a tiebreaker edge based on a better conference record.

"All we could ask for was a chance," San Diego safety Clinton Hart said. "Now we've got it."

The Chargers kept alive their hopes last week with an impressive 41-24 win at Tampa Bay, which had been 6-0 at home. Philip Rivers threw four touchdowns passes against a defense that began the day ranked third in the NFL against the pass.

LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 90 yards to surpass the 1,000-yard mark Sunday for the eighth time in as many seasons.

On the team's flight home, the Chargers learned that Denver had lost at home to Buffalo, 30-23, making this week's clash a showdown for the division crown. The winner will host a first-round playoff game.

"I can't say enough about our guys in terms of the way they've handled the last month, the way they've prepared, the way they've competed," said San Diego coach Norv Turner, whose team still has had a disappointing season following last year's 11-5 finish.

Denver's defense has faltered down the stretch, allowing 30 points in each of its last two games. The Broncos are surrendering 26.4 points per game, the 28th-worst mark in the league.

"If you had told us in the beginning of the year that it was a one-game series with us and San Diego to go to the playoffs, we probably would have taken it," Denver quarterback Jay Cutler said.

In the earlier meeting between the teams, a gutsy call by Denver coach Mike Shanahan paid off as a successful 2-point conversion pass with 24 seconds remaining gave the Broncos a 39-38 victory on September 14.

It marked only the third time in NFL history that a team scored the winning points on a 2-point conversion.