Chargers masters at wasting chances

SAN DIEGO — In singing, success doesn’t always translate to talent. Tens of thousands have better vocal cords than your Madonnas and Mariah Careys of pop legend.

It goes the other way in football. Talent doesn’t always translate to success. Being skilled doesn’t make you any good. The Chargers prove that weekly.

They’re your standard broken record of unfulfilled promise. They’re Bill Murray waking up over and over to the same day in Punxsutawney.

Any fourth-quarter collapse now, San Diego finally is going to put its fans out of their 2008 misery. It hasn’t occurred yet, but only for the fact the AFC West this season makes the Sphynx resemble your everyday adorable kitten.

NFL teams deserving of postseason thoughts don’t lose for a fourth time in the final 24 seconds of a game and manage a clock in the closing minutes as a toddler without a nap might his sandbox, but that’s what the Chargers offered in a 23-20 defeat to Indianapolis on Sunday night.

Adam Vinatieri made good from 51 yards with no time left at Qualcomm Stadium, and there was weatherman Phil again, being jolted awake at 6 a.m. by the sounds of "I Got You, Babe."

The team many in September bestowed one Super Bowl XLII sideline has lost seven times by a total of 28 points because it can’t stop others when winning is the available prize. Think of UNLV’s fourth-quarter defense, only on a larger stage and played by millionaires.

"It’s gone that way this year," Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers said. "That’s not to say luck has gone against us — just a few plays here and there. It’s tough.

There’s not another 4-7 team in this league that still has a chance (for the playoffs), so we can be somewhat optimistic about that, but it’s tough. It’s tough.

"We didn’t lose any ground in (the division). We didn’t gain any. We are right where we were coming in. I don’t think it (says anything) about us, other than what our record says."

Here’s a crazy thought: Maybe the record says everything. Maybe they’re not as good as everyone thought. The Chargers fired one defensive coordinator (Ted Cottrell) during their bye week, and his replacement (Ron Rivera) hasn’t seemed to discover many answers for the league’s worst pass defense.

San Diego left the Colts and Peyton Manning 1:30 to drive into position for the winning field goal Sunday, which against the Chargers’ secondary is like leaving David Letterman 15 minutes to crack a joke.

The Chargers don’t manage games well, seen again when coach Norv Turner called a timeout with 31 seconds left on a play clock to ponder a decision of going for a fourth-and-2 from the Colts’ 29 with 1:35 left or to kick a 47-yard field goal.

Turner said he at first thought it was closer to fourth-and-1, but why not force Indianapolis to burn its final timeout? Why not wait to call yours, say, 30 seconds later?

Chargers management has stated Turner will return next season, which means the coach only can hope those running San Diego’s pro team honor their word better than those running San Diego State athletics. Chuck Long also got a vote of confidence this season. He was axed Sunday.

Good teams win close games at every level, especially this one. Bad ones don’t. Ones that can be coached better usually don’t. Ones that seemingly never can take advantage of an opportunity to improve their division standing don’t.

Another presented itself to the Chargers on Sunday, when first-place Denver resembled its mediocre self and was drilled at home by an Oakland side not resembling its pathetic self.

San Diego could have closed within a game of the Broncos with five left by winning. By doing the one thing it hasn’t all season in close games.

"There are no guarantees," Turner said. "You go out and fight. We played an outstanding team. We made a bunch of plays. We had opportunities to make others. I can’t talk about how other teams are doing. This was an opportunity for us."

More could come. Denver isn’t about to become great. The Broncos end the regular season here Dec. 28, and it’s not ridiculous to believe the division champion will still be undecided.

It’s not crazy to think the Chargers still have enough time to stop driving off that cliff with the groundhog and finally emerge from one of these close games on top.

The more probable scenario: The Chargers are done. Finished. Dead. They let Sonny and Cher sing one time too often this season.

Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist Ed Graney can be reached at 702-383-4618 or egraney@reviewjournal.com.