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2008 San Diego Chargers NFL Picks & Predictions

Written by Jimmy Boyd

After back-to-back seasons as one of the elite teams in the NFL, the Chargers will settle for nothing less than a Super Bowl berth. With the Colts and Patriots stacked again, it’s still going to be tough to get the job done. Get Jimmy Boyd’s NFL predictions on one of the Super Bowl favorites in his 2008 San Diego Chargers season preview.

Offense

Phillip Rivers will only be in his third season as a starter and he has already solidified himself as one of the best signal callers in the AFC. Playing in the AFC Championship Game with a torn ACL showed just how tough this guy is. Rivers has a strong arm and is a very heady player. His 21 touchdown, 15 interception numbers do not adequately show his value. He’ll be even better in year three.

Tomlinson is still the best tailback in the game, but he is entering his eighth season and the Chargers know that they need to win now. L.T. will be gunning for his third straight league rushing title this season. He rushed for 1,474 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2007 and appears completely recovered from the knee injury which kept him out of the conference title game with New England. The loss of Tomlinson’s steady backup, Michael Turner, shouldn’t cause the Chargers to lose much sleep with the speedy Darren Sproles filling.

Tight end Antonio Gates and wide receiver Chris Chambers are Rivers’ two favorite targets in the passing game. Gates is one of the biggest red zone threats in the league and Chambers should only get better as he continues to gel with Rivers.

The Chargers have a big offensive line which is one of the big reasons that they are one of the best teams in the league. Kris Dielman and Mike Goff play the guard spots, Marcus McNeil and Jeromey Clary play the tackles, and Nick Hardwick plays the center spot. Hardwick will miss the early portion of the season rehabbing a foot injury however.

Defense

The Bolts have one of the most ferocious fronts in the NFL with defensive tackle Jamal Williams in the middle as its anchor.

The linebacker unit is more ferocious yet with Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips. The two combined for 21 sacks last year and both players have the ability to single handedly change a game.

Cornerback Antonio Cromartie wasted no time emerging as a star in his second season. He led the league with 10 interceptions and scored three touchdowns in three different ways: fumble recovery, interception return, and returned failed field goal for 109 yards. Quentin Jammer will play the other corner spot. Eric Weddle and Clinton Hart will play the safety spots. Rookie Antoine Cason is expected to play nickelback. This is a young talented group which should be a force for years to come.

Special Teams

Place kicker Nate Kaeding continues to be one of the best in the business. He was four-for-four in frigid New England in the conference title game. Darren Sproles is a force returning kicks as well. He had two scoring returns in one game last season. But the best special teams player in the NFL is Kassim Osgood. He has been the AFC’s Pro Bowl special teams players each of the past two seasons.

Prediction – 1st AFC West

The Chargers are clearly the best in the AFC West as the Chiefs and Raiders continue to rebuild and the Broncos look to bounce back from a losing campaign. San Diego has bigger goals than just winning their division though. The AFC Super Bowl berth looks like a three-team race between, Indy, New England, and San Diego again. The healthiest team and the one with home field will go a long way to determining who make the Super Bowl trip.

Check out Jimmy Boyd’s 2009 Super Bowl predictions article to see who he likes to win the biggest game of the year and make sure you’re playing his NFL picks all season long for the most winners in the industry.

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