San Diego miraculously escaped Santa Clara, but now a stiff test at Arrowhead against desperate KC looms for Comeback Chargers
The San Diego Chargers mustered one of the finest comebacks of the season by eclipsing a 21-point halftime against the San Francisco 49ers and are now one win away from somehow, someway, making the postseason.
The fact that offensive coordinator Frank Reich was a key cog in this Bolts’ revival makes it all the more likely that this game will go down in Chargers lore…if they beat the Kansas City Chiefs (8-7) this Sunday.
According to Elias, San Diego’s 21-point comeback victory was the fifth comeback win by an NFL team when down by at least 20 points this season.
So yes it’s been a trend in the NFL this year, but this one in particular was the most important due to the implications surrounding it. And with their backs against the wall and being pushed to the brink of the NFL graveyard, Philip Rivers and the San Diego defense figured out a way to climb out of the hole and back on their feet.
As written here last week, Reich was the quarterback for the Buffalo Bills when they stormed back against the Houston Oilers down 38-3 at halftime in the AFC Wild Card playoff on cold, windy January day at Rich Stadium in 1993. Having him in Rivers’ ear coaching him through the three interceptions and the abysmal first half cannot be underscored.
From Frank Gore’s momentum-grabbing, turn back the clock 52-yard touchdown burst, to Antoine Bethea’s 49-yard interception return for a score had to make even the most ardent Chargers fan throw their hands up in disbelief and disgust.
The cherry on top of the doom and gloom following the first half was Chargers safety (and lone Pro Bowl honoree) Eric Weddle getting juked out of his cleats by 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick for a 90-yard scamper to finish the third 
quarter.
But even with all of that happening, the Chargers turned it on and turned to Rivers’ longtime target Antonio Gates for a couple touchdowns and all of a sudden San Diego saw the light.
This one will go down in the annals of the young Reich/Rivers era, but only if they can finish off the season with a road win in Kansas City, which is no easy task in December inside such a hostile stadium.
No one wants to toss the massive comeback win out. Fans want to savor it for years to come. The Chiefs are in a tailspin and losers of four of their last five, experiencing the same second half swoon that buried them last year.
If the Chargers cannot seal the deal at Arrowhead Stadium, the 49ers comeback will be a highlight in a season full of what could have beens.
Lost in all this comeback hoopla is the fact that, in the first half, Rivers had as many interceptions as completions (2) on throws more than five yards. The Chargers defense gave up 355 rushing yards and struggled to beat a downtrodden 49ers club.
Sunday at Arrowhead, nothing else will matter. It’s either win or waddle on Coronado Beach from Monday until mini camp 2015.
Copyright 2015 SportSpeak LLC, all rights reserved. For more coverage, follow @SportSpeakLA and @SportSpeakOC on Twitter.
