BUMP IN THE ROAD: Everybody has a bad day. Yesterday it was the Chargers' turn. Don't despair, because the Chargers are a great team and headed for the postseason. They proved it by their second-half comeback, which was just too little, too late. It was just a bump in the education road.
CHRIS KANZIUS,
Rancho San Diego
STILL LEARNING: The media, the fans and apparently the Chargers coaches anointed Philip Rivers after his performance against a weak San Francisco team. Yesterday, Rivers showed us who he is, which is an inexperienced player. I thought 6-foot-5 quarterbacks don't get passes knocked down at the line of scrimmage. Also, experienced quarterbacks don't allow themselves to get sacked on consecutive plays to end their last drive. Thankfully, the Chargers play an easy schedule this year.
RON PARKER, Spring Valley
DON'T BLAME RIVERS: Expect a game like this from the Chargers' young quarterback in hostile environments like K.C., but don't blame him for this loss. Blame the porous offensive line, and the defense's inability to make a stop at the end.
DAN TEISAN, Santee
THE NICKNAME: I am aware the Chargers' defense needs a nickname. Consider: the Electric Blanket – energized early, goes to sleep late. How about: the Crispy Twinkies – looks tough on the outside but gets squishy when it's squeezed. Or: the Bolt From the Blue – energetic but strikes randomly.
MARK ROGERS, Encinitas
BANDWAGON BUST: Just when I get on the bandwagon it has a flat tire.
STEVE ALDRIDGE, Ocean Beach
TURNOVERS: You just knew with the Chiefs coming off a beating last week vs. the Steelers, this was going to be a difficult game for the Chargers in Arrowhead, by far the toughest place to play in the NFL. With Igor Olshansky out and an early injury to Shaun Phillips, the defense just could not get enough pressure on Damon Huard, resulting in numerous completions to Tony Gonzalez in critical situations. Even with all this going against the Chargers, they still managed to find themselves in the game late. In the end, though, it was the turnovers early in the game that did in the Chargers. On the bright side, this team fought hard to get back into the game and there still are 10 games to play.
DAVID KATZ, Pacific Beach
PREVENT WHAT? The Chargers wasted a golden opportunity to beat their nemesis in Kansas City by not remembering how to complete a game. In the process, they wasted a great comeback by the offense. This was not so much the Chiefs winning the game, but more the Chargers losing it. The defense on the last series was abominable. It was a sorry ending to a sloppy game by the entire team.
JOHN PILCH, San Diego
