Head Coach Norv Turner

Did everybody practice today?
“The guys we expected that would practice practiced and we had some guys that are limited right now. I’m excited that we will have all our guys when we get going next week when we prepare for who we are going to play next week.”

What did you sense about the team by the way they practiced today?
“They seemed really focused. We cut back in terms on the number of plays, but the plays we ran, I thought we executed extremely well. We started introducing different things that we have to handle in the game and the guys realize that if we use this time properly, we can get a jump start on some things that we have to be able to defend and there are some things that we have to be able to attack that we can have a better understanding of.”

Your last loss came out of the bye week. Is that at all irrelevant here or is there anything you can take from that and apply it to your preparations for next week?
“This is a different type of bye week. I don’t see a comparison between the two of them because when you are in the middle of the year and you’ve played some games, the bye is about getting away and getting some rest because you know you’ve got a long haul after that. It’s more mentally getting away from it. I think our guys understand that we are going to give them some rest, but this bye week is about doing some extra work in terms of preparation.”

If you were asked to identify an unsung here or two this year, is that impossible with all the guys that you’ve had?
“It’s a long list. It’s a real long list. As I’ve said, if in August  you were talking about (Brandon) Siler starting the number of games at inside linebacker that he has or Brandyn Dombrowski starting at right guard and at right tackle over a considerable amount of time, I don’t know that you would be sitting here thinking that this would’ve turned out the way it did.”

Stephen Cooper is one guy that has gone under the radar. He’s just been going out there and doing his job quietly. Has this year been one of his best years as a pro?
“Because he’s done the football things that you are talking about, and he’s stepped up another level in terms of being a leader and the quarterback of the defense. He makes things go by getting people lined up and runs the show when they get out on the field. Stephen (Cooper) is a very smart player who doesn’t make mistakes. He’s always been a real good tackler and has a good year in that area.”

Given that he’s healthy, can you see an expansion of L.T’s role or is going to be the same thing that he’s been doing?
“I saw it happen when we played Cincinnati, and that was the most production that L.T. has had in terms of the run and the pass mixed. I’m excited to have him fresh and healthy and we will still lean on Darren (Sproles) for the things he does well. I like the mix we have there.”

Looking back on the season are there any games that you look back on and say, ‘that’s how we need to play in the playoffs?
“I’ve gone back through a lot of our games because I know whoever we play is going to be doing that, particularly the teams that we play who are similar to whoever it is. It’s not one game, it’s in a lot of games when the most critical situation came, that we made the stop or we made the great play, made the great punt, or we covered the kick well. That’s what we have to do. Our games come down to the last two minutes and you make a lot of plays up to that point so you have a chance to win. You have to make plays in those situations to win and that’s what our guys have done in all three phases.”

Is that because of the focus the guys have had throughout the week? How do you prepare for a play when you don’t know when it will happen?
“That’s the key. There are four or five plays that will decide the game. You don’t know which ones they are until you play the game.  Our guys have done a great job with that but I really believe the experience that we have and the experience our players have had in those situations that have made the difference.”

When you have such a high-powered offense, how critical is that left tackle with Marcus and what he’s able to do?
“Particularly when you have a young right tackle where you don’t have to, but we are prepared to help out a lot. Marcus is out there by himself. I look at what he did out there in that Dallas game and he had a great game. He’s had a lot of great games this year but to go on the road and go up against what many believe to be the best pass rusher in the league and to play at the level he did, it says a lot about what he’s done for us all year.”

He’s pretty loose all the time, have you ever seen him tight in games?
”I’ve seen him uptight. This game will humble everybody. We went to Tennessee a couple of years ago and it was long afternoon for him. Everyone in this league gets humbled at some time but it’s how you respond. He always responds great.”

If Don Coryell is amongst one of the 15 finalist for the Hall of Fame what would that mean to you?
“If that’s the case, that’s exciting because he means so much to so many different people that have been in this game. This system and this style started with him and it’s gone around to so many different players and coaches that you can’t name them all. Certainly Ernie (Zampese) coming to the Rams and me being involved with him for three or four years and getting to be around this offense was special. I’ve never had a close association with coach Coryell but I’ve got the utmost respect for him. When we used to come down with the Rams and practice the Chargers, I used to go and stand and watch him because it was so much fun to watch him coach and to see the energy he brought to practice.”

RB LaDainian Tomlinson

What do you take away from past playoff experiences?
“I think just the way you lost the game and the way you won the game. I think that’s what you take away from it. Some things you can do better, maybe starting the game or finishing the game. That’s pretty much it because it’s going to be a different team. The team we played a couple years ago, three years ago in New England, it’s not the same team. Obviously, the Colts team we beat last year isn’t the same team. It’s different, but the experience factor is something you take away from it.”

Are you guys the same team?
“No, we’re not the same team. Obviously, we got a lot of the same guys on the team, but it’s not the same team. I remember a long time ago one of our coaches saying, we had a team meeting and one of our coaches told us, ‘you know guys we need to get off the stuff we did last year. This is not last year’s team. This is a totally different team. We may have a lot of the guys that were on the team, but it’s a totally different team. We’re a totally different team and that’s the way we’ll approach it.’”

Do past seasons predict anything?
“No. Absolutely not. “

Can you point out one or two unsung heroes who have stepped up this season?
“You’re putting me on the spot. I don’t know about just one or two guys. You look at what our fullbacks have done, Salt and Pepper is what we call them. You look at them guys and you look at (Brandyn) Dombrowski coming in and doing what he’s done for us. You look at Mooch (Scott Mruczkowski) who came in for Nick (Hardwick) and then Nick coming back. You look at couple guys across the defensive line, the guys that filled in. You can’t really point to one or two guys. It’s a lot of guys that helped us.”

What does that mean to you?
“It’s a total team game. We’ve proved it by the way we’ve had to play filling in different guys. “

What do you say about the way your defense is performing?
“They have done a great job with their preparation. We’ve seen them put extra time in the classroom. When we’re playing certain teams, to know exactly what they’re doing out there and it’s helped them. We have the upmost confidence in them guys that they’re going to get the stops that we need to get when we need to get them. That is something we talk about a lot between each other.  We say, ‘hey guys, you need to get the stops and we’re going to put points on the board and make it easy on you. You guys are making it easy for us and we’ll do the same.’ It works hand in hand.”

How great is it for Philip (Rivers) to have the three big targets?
“I think if you ask any quarterback in the league they would love to have the size of those guys; big guys that can run.  Any quarterback would love that. I think it works well with Philip. His strengths throwing the ball down the field and putting the ball in areas where only they can get it, I think has been great for him.”

Is the ability for Gates and Vincent to be so athletic at 6’5” impressive?
“Yes, it’s pretty impressive. It really is. To see those guys move, jump, spin and all of the things you’re use to seeing smaller guys do; but big guys are doing it.”

Do you notice a difference playing teams with playoff experience like the Patriots?
“I’m sure there is a bit of difference from the experience factor just by how they have different situations throughout the game. Experience a lot of times they don’t make the mistakes that some of the teams that haven’t been in the playoffs have. That’s the biggest difference, but at the end of the day it’s still football. You have to execute the plays that are called.

On Marcus McNeill’s emergence and being a character:
“Mac came in right away as a rookie, if you remember and did well. He’s been playing well for a long time. I think the difference this year is the mind set he has. He’s healthy again, but he has that mind set of I can be dominate. He plays like it. Commenting on him being a little different is not such a bad thing. I like a crazy lineman. I really do. I think they’re the best guys to have on the team. They keep it loose. Those are the guys you want out there. “

QB Philip Rivers

Was there a different feel today?
“It was a little different feel. Obviously with the game 10 or 12 days away, I don’t know if relaxed is the word, but there’s a little different feel to practice, but it was good. It was focused and we got done what we needed to get done. There’s certainly something about the feel of playoff time. There’s 20 teams that are done and to be one of the teams again that has a chance, it feels good. The way our schedule sets up and everybody’s mindset, this will be a really good week for us before we get into a regular game-week next week.”

Are there a couple of unsung heroes from this team that stand out to you?
“It’s hard. For me to single a few out, I’ll leave some out but just coming to my mind offensively you’ve got Brandyn Dombrowski who fought like crazy to make this team and then all of a sudden in week one he’s thrown in there at right guard for a couple weeks and then all of a sudden he’s thrown in there at right tackle, and he also played almost a whole game at left tackle last week. He’s a guy that has been huge and what he’s been asked to do is very demanding and he’s risen to the occasion. That’s one guy that stands out on the offensive side of the ball. I could single out others that have been. I know there’s been a lot made of Brandon Siler and his play. His will and eagerness to be in the lineup on defense has never stopped. Every day he’s been here, he’s wanted to be out there on the defensive side of the ball and at the same time appreciating and taking advantage of his role on special teams. Those are two guys that just come to mind and again I’m leaving some out. There’s been so many guys that have contributed this year and in some way or fashion and I think it’s been the most complete team effort for a season that we’ve had since I’ve been here and to have won those last 11 straight and have that many guys contribute even makes it that much more of a special regular season. Obviously we want a special postseason ahead, but it’s a heck of a run we’ve had thru 16 games.”

Can you talk about the fullbacks, Jacob Hester and Mike Tolbert?
“Those guys are super unselfish guys. Everybody would love to take every snap at fullback but they’re really super unselfish guys that really compliment each other well. You won’t find any that are any tougher or that likes football any more than those two guys. Both of them have played at a really high level. They do different things and give us another dimension too, catching the football out of the backfield. Both of them have done that well. They’re also two young guys that also contribute on special teams as well, really good special teams players, and it’s been real nice to keep them both fresh and healthy and mix them both in there.”

Talk about how the team stayed together after losing Nick Hardwick and Jamal Williams early in the season?
“I think it had an effect and there were other guys that were beat up as well. As healthy as we were thru training camp, it went away after week one and we also had as tough as an opening schedule as we’ve probably had against some of the best run defenses and some of the best defenses in the league. We came out of that first five-game stretch 2-3 and things weren’t looking so good. I remember standing right here and saying ‘we’ve got to keep playing one game at a time, there’s 11 games left.’ I remember saying ‘there’s a whole college season left,’ and I remember saying that and we won the rest of them, so that one game-at-a-time very zeroed-in approach worked well for us. And it’ll take just that now. When you get in the postseason there are only 12 teams and there’ll be eight left after this week. It’s very easy to fall into or get caught up in who’s left and what scenarios there are and I think it’s key for us to stay as focused as we have all year in the one game at a time and don’t get caught up in it so we can go out and play our best.”

Is there a difference between playing a team with a lot of playoff experience like the Patriots and a team like Cincinnati or New York that hasn’t been in it as much recently?
“Whoever it is, you’re going to get a solid football team. They all bring different challenges, different experience and different schemes, so whoever you get there’s obviously some similarities in some of them and there are some differences. Whoever it is, you get down to this time of the year they’re going to be a challenge and a good team and we’ll be enjoying but watching those games with high interest this weekend to see who it ends up being.”

Are you able to anticipate the plays that Norv calls coming in from the sidelines?
“In many cases, I am able to anticipate what’s coming in and if not, within the first few words I kind of know where he’s headed with the play. That’s a good sign. For one, that’s doing it each game, each time we’re around one another and when our offense is around one another you get that rhythm and that feel and understanding. And the way we practice and prepare, you should know or have an idea that when it’s 3rd-and-2 what’s coming in, or in a two-minute drive, what are we going to do. Our preparation and the experience that we’ve been through together allows for that to happen.”

Can you talk about Marcus McNeill at left tackle?
“Marcus is playing at a really high level and this year, like usual, you see (the opponent’s) best pass rusher on him every week. We went thru a span there in the NFC where you had (DeMarcus) Ware and Trent Cole and Osi Umenyiora in New York, and then Elvis Dumervil in our division and some of those guys and the list just goes on and on. But you usually get the best pass rusher and Marcus enjoys that challenge and kind of thrives in it. He’s had a heck of a year and we’ll need him to have him continue to play at a high level.

“We understand not only his importance, but the whole line play, including the tight ends and the backs. It allows us to push it down the field and do a lot of the things that we do. There’s no doubt that they’ve played a huge part, as they always have in our success.”

Can you talk about Marcus’ personality?
“He has a little bit of that out-on-an-island mentality. At some point you’re going to give up a sack but he has the mentality like he’s never given up one and he’s never going to give up one and that’s the only way to do it when you’re out there by yourself when you’re getting in some cases, the best athlete on the field. He enjoys those challenges and brings it each and every week.”

LB Stephen Cooper

How much has it helped you guys that you’ve avoided costly penalties and mental errors this season?
“That’s so big.  Whenever you give up penalties and give offenses a chance to get more yards and make more first downs, it keeps us on the field longer and keeps our offense on the sidelines.  Our whole mentality is getting three-and-outs and turnovers because whenever Philip gets the ball, they’re going to put points on the board.  That’s what we prey on.”

Who are a couple of the “unsung heroes” on this team that have stood out to you?
“I would definitely say guys like Steve Gregory, Paul Oliver, Brandon Siler and Tim Dobbins.  Those are the kind of guys that go under the radar because they haven’t been doing stuff in the past but this year they’ve been making big plays.  Brandon Siler is playing great inside linebacker.  Tim Dobbins is doing a great job.  So are Steve Gregory and Paul Oliver on the back end.  If we can keep playing at our level, those guys are going to show that they’re stars.”

How much has that meant to you to have so many guys step up?
“It’s big.  Our defense, due to a lot of injuries this year, it showed how much depth we have.  Our coaches are doing a great job of putting us in position to make plays and putting us in positions where our strengths are and not our weaknesses.”

How do you make sure that you guys are ready for those four or five plays that can decide a game?
“The biggest thing is we’re trying to make the big plays minimal.  We gave up one big play last week that was very disappointing.  I think this season we haven’t really given up too many big plays.  We make teams grind it out, run the ball, pass the ball.  If we keep doing that, we’ll have a successful year.”

Have you spent any time looking at the Patriots yet as a possible opponent?
“We haven’t really looked too much at them.  We played Denver twice this year and they pretty much are similar to New England.  Josh McDaniels was a great offensive coordinator there (in New England) and I think he carried the New England offense to Denver so we’re real familiar with that.  The Jets, we know they run a two-back offense.  They like to run the ball so we know we have to be ready for that.”

What did you learn from the Bengals game last month?
“We know that we’ve got to shut down Chad (Ochocinco).  We’ve got to keep Cedric Benson at a minimal and not let him get any big runs.  We’ve got to stay physical up front and get after the quarterback.”

How different would it be to play a team with so much playoff experience like New England versus one like Cincinnati without a lot of postseason experience?
“It really isn’t about what team we play.  It’s about us going out there and doing our job.  We’re real hungry right now.  That’s why we’re on an 11-game win streak.  We just want to make sure we get a first-round bye and have a home game.  Guys were banged up but now we’re healthy.  We’re going to go out and get these next two days of practice and look forward to next week, whoever we’re playing.”

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The Chargers announced today that their AFC Divisional Playoff Game scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 17 is sold out.

“We’ve had a tremendous response from our season ticket holders as well as fans interested in becoming new season ticket holders,” said Jim Steeg, the Chargers’ executive vice president and chief operating officer.  “Nearly all of our current season ticket holders bought their seats for the game.  And we’ve also sold a lot of new season seats for 2010.  Finally, we gave our season ticket holders the opportunity to purchase additional playoff tickets and they scooped up the remaining seats in less than 48 hours. 

“This is a great indicator of the excitement surrounding the team and the upcoming playoffs.” 

The team has held back a very limited number of playoff tickets that are available only to fans purchasing season tickets.  And there is a very limited number of suite and other premium-seating opportunities available.  Season tickets for the 2010 season may be purchased at the Chargers’ ticket office at Gate C at Qualcomm Stadium, calling 877-CHARGERS or going to www.CHARGERS.com.

The Chargers will play New England, Cincinnati or the New York Jets on Sunday, Jan. 17 at 1:40 pm PT. 

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The San Diego Chargers have placed linebacker James Holt on “Reserve-Injured” and signed veteran linebacker Dontarrious Thomas to take his place on the active roster.
 
Thomas (6-2, 241), in his sixth NFL season, originally entered the NFL as a second-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in 2004. He has appeared in 63 games, including 10 starts, and has 47 career special teams tackles. Thomas spent four seasons in Minnesota before signing with the San Francisco 49ers as a free agent in 2008. He was released at the conclusion of training camp and later returned to Minnesota for the final 10 games of the season.
 
This fall, Thomas played for the United Football League’s California Redwoods. He was the team’s leading tackler and finished third in the UFL in stops. Thomas has been a special teams contributor throughout his professional career. He will wear No. 57 for the Chargers.
 
Holt will undergo surgery on his shoulder after injuring it Sunday in San Diego’s regular-season finale. Originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent in May, Holt spent the first seven weeks of the ’09 season on the team’s practice squad.  He was promoted to the active roster prior to the Chargers’ Week 9 victory over the Giants and had nine special teams tackles in nine games.
 
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Injury Update:
"From an injury standpoint, I'll give you an update.  The guys that were inactive or the guys that have missed - Jacques Cesaire, Jacob Hester, Vincent Jackson, Shawne Merriman, Legedu Naanee, Eric Weddle - those guys I would expect to be able to participate at some level during this week.  Again, I'm going to generalize, but I think all of them will be able to participate at some level this week.  Then all of them without having a setback would be full go next week.  Obviously the more they can do this week, the better I believe it is for them.  "From a standpoint of injuries in the game, James Holt has a shoulder injury and he will have surgery and he will be out.  He's had a remarkable season for a young guy that came in here and just jumped out very early.  He's really become a big part of our special teams.  We'll have to replace him there.  (Antonio) Garay strained his hamstring, but I think he'll be alright."

Opening statement:
"From the standpoint of the game, as I said yesterday, it was good for us to get our starters out.  Most of them got about 20 plays.  I thought they got good work and accomplished what we wanted to get done.  Then our young guys, I think it's great for them to get a chance to play. The game was fast for them early.  I think as they settled in to what we were doing and playing in a real game in terms of being a starter-like mentality, I thought we handled things extremely well and obviously I thought it was good for Billy to be in the situation he was in.  To put that drive together at the end says a lot about those young guys and their abilities to play.  It's nice to get Billy the reps; get him the opportunities.  I hope he doesn't play over the next month, but I believe he'll be ready if he needs to be."

Is the bye week more important physically or mentally?
"I honestly believe it's both.  First of all, physically it is a long season and you do get rest (with the bye).  Everyone is in there lifting.  They'll get a lift and a run in today and then tomorrow we'll be off.  We'll get three good days of practice but the rest will come on the weekend, Saturday and Sunday.  We'll play the following Sunday at 1:40 so we'll come in and do something on Monday, then Tuesday off and have a normal week after that.  When you look at it you go Saturday, Sunday, Monday it'll be a light work and then Tuesday (off), they'll be rested physically.  That's critical.  Then the mental part of it is not only stepping back away from it for a second but we can really get into some detail in terms of preparation for this game and be real exact in what we want to do where sometimes during the season, and like we had for Tennessee you get into short weeks, you get into different types of game-plan situations where you have people injured and they don't get a lot of reps in practice.  Sometimes you wish you had a little more time to prepare.  That won't be the case here."

In late fourth-quarter drives, can you give us some insight into how you call plays?
"My intention is always to get first downs on first and second down.  That makes it much smoother.  Third downs are obviously critical any time of the game to keeping the drive alive.  We spend a lot of time talking, whether it be a four-minute situation like we were in yesterday, the two-minute situation getting the ball with 50 seconds like we have.  I think those things come from the preparation we've had all through the year.  We had a major emphasis this year in training camp and our offseason work on the two-minute situation.  We took it a step further and tried to come up with every possible scenario we could come up with.  I think all of that has paid off for us."

In the playoffs is it even more critical?
"When you get in the playoffs, and it sounds very obvious, you're going to play a very good team.  Obviously you're playing one of the best teams in the league.  That's why they're in there.  The one thing that Coach (Jimmy) Johnson used to always talk about is that it's the team that plays the best when you get to that point.  In other games you are better than someone.  In these games, it is the team that plays the best and the team that plays the best handles all those different situations.  Obviously those are game-changing situations."

Do you feel you guys are the team playing the best right now?
"We're playing at a real high level.  I think there are a number of teams that are playing extremely well. We had an outstanding game with Dallas in early December and they've really taken off.  You look at the teams in the AFC and they're going that way (up).  To me it's not what you've done or how well you've played.  You get a three-and-a-half hour game and you need to play better than the team you're playing against."

Can you talk about the job Hal Hunter and Don Johnson have done?
"We did have some changes on the staff and one of the things I always talk to coaches about, and I probably got this from John Robinson, there are two things when you talk to your team.  We've got a lot of marquee, big-time players.   In the spring we talked about, 'Hey, let's see how many guys can go out and have their best season of their career.'  We had a lot of guys that did that.  I talked to the coaches the same way. 'Lets see how many guys on this staff can have their best year ever coaching.'  To do what we did on the offensive and defensive lines, you say that Don Johnson I think has had an outstanding year and worked with a lot of different people.  Hal Hunter and Mike Sullivan together with the offensive line, they've done a great job, particularly when you look at the center position and the changes we had there and Mooch playing as many games as he did.  Then starting the last 11 games a rookie at right guard and right tackle, that's hard to do."

How do you avoid coming out rusty after the bye?
"I think it's something this team has done a good job.we practice fast.  This week we can reduce the reps just a little bit, but when we go, you just have to go fast and you have to maintain that type of mentality.  I think that's the strength of this team.  Even when we were struggling, I know I commented on it and it doesn't help when you say it but you're not playing as well as you'd like, but we have practiced well and I believe we will continue to."

How do you prepare when you don't know who you are going to play?
"It's the position you're put in and we will prepare for the situations that are going to come up in this game.  We just talked about it - whether it be red zone; whether it be backed up; whether it be goal line; whether it be two minute - we will get those situations handled and we will work hard on them.  We will look at different things that teams do and do a little bit of each, but in those situations, things tend to be a little more standard.  There are a lot of similarities between all the teams you play.  Obviously we have to wait until this weekend is over to find out exactly who we're playing.  Then we'll get into the specifics of that team."

What did you think of Malcom Floyd's performance?
"Malcom and Buster Davis will end up getting game balls offensively.  I thought Malcom would have that kind of game.  I thought based on the way Washington played, the things Billy does well and the way Malcom is playing.  He hasn't been that guy, and obviously we've spread the ball around to a lot of people, but when Gates went out and Vincent Jackson wasn't playing, there were some opportunities to really zero in and get him involved and get him part of it.  He really responded.  He's an outstanding player who has really gotten a lot better over the last year."

Is this the most rewarding season of your career as a head coach?
"It is.  I'm not very good at comparing those things, but the biggest thing for me is the job the assistant coaches have done and the number of people we have that have contributed to this team.  That part of it is impressive.  Somebody had the number, I don't know exactly what it was, but they said 60 different guys have played in games for us.  That's a lot of guys, but I know that on Sundays we play a lot of people.  When we win a game, I think everyone feels that they were part of it and that's a great team feeling."

Is it even more important this time of year to have a guy like Malcom step up when you're playing good teams that can take other guys away?
"There is another guy that's in the mix and I think Malcom has been that guy and people know that getting ready for us, that we do have balance.  I think when you visually see it on tape and you say, 'Wow, here are the things they do with this guy,' it's something else you have to prepare for it."

What are the expectations within the organization?
"I think everyone knows what we want to accomplish.  That's been from the start, but I'm not going to get ahead of myself and I'm not going to let my guys get ahead of themselves.  We talked about it last night in the locker room: in this league, if you want to do something, you have to go earn it.  That's been a great lesson learned by a lot of people in our organization.  There have been times obviously in the past where people pick you and it's a foregone conclusion in someone's mind.  It is not a foregone conclusion in anyone's mind.  We know that we're going to play an awfully good football team and we're going to have to play at our best to move to the next round of the playoffs."

But do you feel confident in the next round considering who you might play?
"As I said, we're going to play a real good team and teams have different scenarios that affect them.  If someone told me that we were going to go through the season with Mruczkowski at center and Vasquez at right guard and Dombrowski at right tackle and we're going to win a number of games in a row with those guys, I might have been a little skeptical.  I don't think because someone is hurt or someone has had a change based on injury that you expect to get anything different."

How do you explain playoff football to your young players?
"That's one thing this team has.  Our guys, our core guys and they'll help the young guys in the preparation, but we have a lot of guys who have not only played in the playoffs but have won games and won close games.  We won the overtime game last year in the playoffs.  We had a great win in Indy two years ago in the playoffs.  They've experience that and they've experienced the other side of it.  I do know that our guys understand that it can end real fast if you don't go out and do the things you're capable of doing."

What did you take away from your Super Bowl experiences with Dallas that you might be applying right now?
"It's so different and it was a long time ago.  I went to two (Super Bowls with the Cowboys).  With the Rams we went to two championship games.  I've been to a championship game here two years ago.  To me, what I just said, you've got high expectations and you want to go out and be the best team but you've got to go out and earn it.  It's a one-game-at-a-time deal and as I said it can end fast."

How much of an edge over the other teams is your team's playoff experience?
"I don't know that it's an edge over the other teams, but certainly it's a great feeling to know that you've got guys who have been in the playoffs, have experienced the playoffs and had success in the playoffs."

Do you deserve to be in the Coach of the Year conversation, as a reflection of the team as much as you?
"Those things.it's not a big issue for me.  I'm glad that Philip's name has been brought up over the last two or three weeks regarding MVP, but I don't think that's an issue for him.  I know that we've put ourselves in this position and we want to go make the most of it."

Will Dombrowski remain your starting right tackle?
"Dombrowski is the starting right tackle and I'm very impressed with the way he's played.  I'm glad that Jon Runyan got to play.  He played about 40 snaps yesterday.  Dombrowski went over and played left tackle those 40 snaps and I was impressed with the way he made the adjustment to left tackle.  It just gives you a good feeling to know that if we had an issue that we are in good shape in all our positions.  If we had someone have to come out of a game, I'm confident that we could go in at any of the five offensive line positions and handle anything that might come up."

How has Runyan handled not moving into the starting lineup?
"Jon has been great.  Jon is a pro and I think he's enjoying being part of this team.  Playing yesterday, playing the week before gets you to feel more of a part of it.  He's fit in great with our offensive line and he's helped Dombrowski a great deal."

Who replaces Holt on special teams?
"We've got a number of guys and we've had some guys who have not been able to be up, whether it be at different times Marques Harris, who was not active a couple weeks. C.J. Spillman was not active for a number of games but played yesterday and was outstanding on special teams.  We'll make that decision as we go through."

You mentioned maybe shortening practice to keep guys sharp.  How do you do that?
"It's really not significant.  It is to them because it's numbers of reps where in a drill we normally do 12 plays but we might cut it to nine.  If you do that in five different periods, you take out 15 plays of a normal practice.  Again, it's about what we talked about earlier: mentally being sharp and physically making sure we take advantage of this week."

Has your heightened execution in practice translated to games?
"Absolutely.  It's just the confidence you have.  Games are different.  You've got to go beat someone who is talented and you've got to block them and do whatever those things are.  There's no question if you practice fast and that's your normal tempo then you make that adjustment to games on Sundays much easier."

Do you expect Shawne Merriman to be 100 percent?
"I don't know that he'll be 100 percent, but I know that this week will help him greatly and I hope there are some things he can do (in practice) if we're working a pass-rush period, if we're working a third-down period. I hope he's able to get some reps, but I would expect him to be the healthiest he's been in quite a while."

What were your impressions of the Jets last night?
"When you play defense and run the ball and give a lot of different looks like they do.  Obviously they were impressive in the game and it'll be a real good game next week."

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SAN DIEGO CHARGERS vs. WASHINGTON REDSKINS
Qualcomm Stadium (70,000) – San Diego, California
Sunday, Jan. 3, 2010 – 1:15 pm PST

• Malcom Floyd had a career-high 140 yards receiving today. His previous high was 109 yards, set in Cincinnati in 2006. Floyd led the team with nine catches.
• Antonio Gates caught his 59th career touchdown pass today, taking over sole possession of No. 2 all-time on the franchise’s career touchdown receptions list. He also takes over sole possession of third place for total touchdowns (59). He previously was tied with Gary Garrison.
• Gates finishes the season with a career-high 1,157 yards. Wide receiver Vincent Jackson also had a career-high with 1,167. Their 2,324 combined yards is the most by a Chargers duo since Kellen Winslow and John Jefferson totaled 2,630 in 1980.
• Philip Rivers passed for 99 yards today and finishes the season with a career-high 4,254 yards, third-most for a season in team history. Rivers threw his 28th touchdown pass of the season today to Gates for the fourth-most single season TD passes in team history.
• Kicker Nate Kaeding was a perfect 3-for-3 today on field goals and he finishes the season 32-of-35 (.914), a new franchise single-season high for field goal percentage. Kaeding hit a 24-yarder today in addition to kicks of 45 and 47 yards to extend his NFL-record streak of field goals 40-yards-or-less to 69.
• Kaeding also finished the season with 146 points, a new franchise kick-scoring record. He has made a personal-best 20 field goals in a row.
• The Chargers reported only two injuries today: linebacker James Holt (shoulder) and defensive tackle Antonio Garay (hamstring).

TODAY’S INACTIVES
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS vs. WASHINGTON REDSKINS
Qualcomm Stadium (70,000) – San Diego, California
Sunday, Jan. 3, 2010 – 1:15 pm PST

San Diego Chargers Inactives
6                  QB               Charlie Whitehurst (3rd Quarterback)
11               WR              Legedu Naanee
22               FB                Jacob Hester
32               FS                Eric Weddle
56               LB                Shawne Merriman
74               DE               Jacques Cesaire
77               C                  Eric Ghiaciuc
83               WR              Vincent Jackson
                                                  
Chargers Starting Lineup Changes from the Flip Card
#84 Buster Davis will start at WR for #83 Vincent Jackson
#70 Alfonso Boone will start at DE for #74 Jacques Cesaire
#52 Larry English will start at OLB for #56 Shawne Merriman
#28 Steve Gregory will start at FS for #32 Eric Weddle
 
San Diego Chargers Roster Changes from the Flip Card
None
 
Washington Redskins Inactives
10               QB               Richard Bartel (third quarterback)
11               WR              Devin Thomas
24               RB               P.J. Hill
30               S                  LaRon Landry
40               CB               Marcus McCauley
55               LB                Alvin Bowen
56               LB                Curtis Gatewood
92               DT               Albert Haynesworth
 
Washington Redskins Starting Lineup Changes from the Flip Card
#64 Kedric Golston starts at DT for #92 Albert Haynesworth
#27 Fred Smooth starts at SS for #30 LaRon Landry
#50 Edwin Williams starts at RG for #63 Will Montgomery
#12 Malcolm Kelly starts at WR for #11 Devin Thomas
 
Washington Redskins Roster Changes from the Flip Card
None

Enough tickets have been sold to lift the local television blackout and allow San Diego to see the Fox Sports telecast of the Chargers-Redskins game on Sunday, Jan. 3 at Qualcomm Stadium.  Kickoff is 1:15 p.m. PT.  The game will be televised in San Diego on Fox 5.  Ron Pitts and John Lynch will call the play-by-play action and Nischelle Turner will report from the sidelines.

The game also will be seen live in the Southern California communities of Palm Springs (Fox 11) and Santa Barbara (Fox 11).

A limited number of tickets, including many Club Level tickets and tickets returned by the visiting team, are still available at the Chargers’ ticket office at Gate C at Qualcomm Stadium, at www.Chargers.com and through TicketMaster at 800-745-3000.  The ticket office is open Saturday (10-4 pm) and Sunday (9-5 pm).

This weekend’s game is the 47th consecutive regular season or postseason Chargers home game to be televised live locally, the longest streak in team history.  

Fans are urged to use mass transit or carpool, and arrive EARLY.  To avoid heavy traffic around the stadium on Interstates 8 and 15, fans can reach the stadium via the Friars Rd. East exit off of Highway 163.  The parking lot at Qualcomm Stadium will open at 9:00 am for general parking and 8:00 am for those with pre-purchased permits. The lot is expected to fill and close early. 

Tickets to the upcoming San Diego Chargers’ AFC Divisional Playoff game are on sale now only with the purchase of 2010 season tickets.  Fans may purchase playoff tickets by making a non-refundable $200 deposit per season seat.  Purchases can be made online at Chargers.com, by calling 877-Chargers, or visiting the Chargers Ticket Office at Gate C at Qualcomm Stadium.

Tickets are available now at the Chargers' ticket office at Gate C at Qualcomm Stadium, at www.Chargers.com and through TicketMaster at 800-745-3000.

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