San Diego Chargers President Dean Spanos didn’t feel he had to issue any ultimatums when he made the unpopular decision to bring back coach Norv Turner and general manager A.J. Smith despite the team missing the playoffs for the second straight season.

“Everybody knows in this business that you’ve got to win. OK?” Spanos said Tuesday. “That’s the net bottom line. You don’t have to say that.”

The Chargers haven’t been winning enough lately, which is why Spanos was forced to decide the future of his top football men. The Chargers are 17-16 since the end of the 2009 season, including an embarrassing home playoff loss to the New York Jets in January 2010 that was the Chargers’ last postseason appearance.

San Diego went 4-1 at the beginning and end of this season but was undone by a six-game losing streak in the middle. One more win would have earned the Chargers (8-8) the title in the mediocre AFC West.

Feeling that he has a good team with a marquee quarterback in Philip Rivers, “Keeping this intact gives us the best chance to win and change this thing as quickly as possible,” Spanos said.

Spanos said he was heartened by the players’ response to Turner in winning four of five down the stretch. The one loss, though, a rout at Detroit, eliminated the Bolts from playoff contention.

“I was confident that I had a good chance to stay here,” said Turner, who has two years left on his contract, at $3 million a season.

Turner has a 49-31 regular-season record in five years in San Diego but is only 3-3 in the playoffs.

Story continues below

“I would expect we’d have to make the playoffs” to stay employed, Turner said. “If we manage things right and have some good fortune, I imagine we will.”

Eagles retain Reid

Big Red isn’t going anywhere yet.

Eagles chairman Jeffrey Lurie said coach Andy Reid will return for his 14th season in Philadelphia, though he left open the possibility for changes on the coaching staff.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday for the first time since training camp, Lurie expressed his displeasure with the team’s 8-8 record and explained in detail why he chose to retain Reid after weeks of serious deliberation.

“This was, without question, the most disappointing season since I’ve owned the team,” Lurie said. “It’s completely unacceptable.”

The Eagles were strong favorites to reach the Super Bowl after winning the NFC East title last year and adding several accomplished players in the offseason. But they started 1-4 and were 4-8 before closing out the year with four consecutive wins against non-playoff teams.

Next Page »

SAN DIEGO (AP) — San Diego Chargers President Dean Spanos has decided to keep coach Norv Turner and general manager A.J. Smith despite the team missing the playoffs for the second straight season amid increasing fan discontent.

Spanos made his decision Tuesday, two days after the Chargers finished 8-8 by beating Oakland to keep the Raiders out of the playoffs.

“Bottom line, I believe these two men give us the best chance to get back to the playoffs,” Spanos said in a statement. “A.J. Smith is the best man to improve our roster, and Norv Turner is the best man to lead that roster on the field.”

Turner is 49-31 in five years in San Diego but only 3-3 in the playoffs. He is 107-113-1 in three stints as a head coach, including with Washington and Oakland. Both of those teams fired him.

San Diego went 4-1 at the beginning and end of the season but was undone by a six-game losing streak in the middle. One more win would have earned the Chargers the AFC West title.

Smith has come under fire for the erosion of talent from a roster that at one time was considered among the NFL’s best.

Turner was hired in February 2007 after Marty Schottenheimer was fired for what Spanos said was a “dysfunctional” relationship with Smith. Turner inherited a team that went 14-2 before melting down in a home playoff loss to New England.

Turner got the Chargers to the AFC championship game his first season before losing at New England. Since then, though, there’s been a steady decline in postseason success. San Diego has won only one playoff game in the last four seasons. Its last postseason appearance was an embarrassing home loss to the New York Jets in January 2010.

While Schottenheimer was fired in part for his team’s collapse against the Patriots in the playoffs, Turner was rewarded after the loss to the Jets by receiving a contract extension.

Smith’s recent drafts have produced more busts than impact players.

The Chargers have only three of their last seven first-round draft picks on the active roster. Shawne Merriman, Antonio Cromartie and Craig Davis are gone.

Outside linebacker Larry English has been injured and has only seven sacks in 29 games in three seasons. Cornerback Antoine Cason was demoted after allowing three touchdown catches by Plaxico Burress in a loss at the New York Jets. Running back Ryan Mathews had his first 1,000-yard season but is injury prone and has whiffed while trying to block blitzers. Defensive end Corey Liuget had a quiet rookie season.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — San Diego Chargers President Dean Spanos has decided to keep coach Norv Turner and general manager A.J. Smith despite the team missing the playoffs for the second straight season amid increasing fan discontent.

Spanos made his decision Tuesday, two days after the Chargers finished 8-8 by beating Oakland to keep the Raiders out of the playoffs.

“Bottom line, I believe these two men give us the best chance to get back to the playoffs,” Spanos said in a statement. “A.J. Smith is the best man to improve our roster, and Norv Turner is the best man to lead that roster on the field.”

Turner is 49-31 in five years in San Diego but only 3-3 in the playoffs. He is 107-113-1 in three stints as a head coach, including with Washington and Oakland. Both of those teams fired him.

San Diego went 4-1 at the beginning and end of the season but was undone by a six-game losing streak in the middle. One more win would have earned the Chargers the AFC West title.

Smith has come under fire for the erosion of talent from a roster that at one time was considered among the NFL’s best.

Turner was hired in February 2007 after Marty Schottenheimer was fired for what Spanos said was a “dysfunctional” relationship with Smith. Turner inherited a team that went 14-2 before melting down in a home playoff loss to New England.

Turner got the Chargers to the AFC championship game his first season before losing at New England. Since then, though, there’s been a steady decline in postseason success. San Diego has won only one playoff game in the last four seasons. Its last postseason appearance was an embarrassing home loss to the New York Jets in January 2010.

While Schottenheimer was fired in part for his team’s collapse against the Patriots in the playoffs, Turner was rewarded after the loss to the Jets by receiving a contract extension.

Smith’s recent drafts have produced more busts than impact players.

The Chargers have only three of their last seven first-round draft picks on the active roster. Shawne Merriman, Antonio Cromartie and Craig Davis are gone.

Outside linebacker Larry English has been injured and has only seven sacks in 29 games in three seasons. Cornerback Antoine Cason was demoted after allowing three touchdown catches by Plaxico Burress in a loss at the New York Jets. Running back Ryan Mathews had his first 1,000-yard season but is injury prone and has whiffed while trying to block blitzers. Defensive end Corey Liuget had a quiet rookie season.

The San Diego Chargers were one of the NFL’s biggest disappointments in 2011. After being talked about among the league’s elite teams before the season began, the team took its fans on an emotional roller coaster ride, finishing 2nd in the mediocre AFC West with an 8-8 record.

All eyes have turned to Head Coach Norv Turner, who was thought to almost certainly lose his job at season’s end. The team’s inability to finish close games has made it a near certainty that Turner would lose his job.

But the team showed considerable fight down the stretch, winning four of its last five games that included a win over the hated Oakland Raiders in the final week of the season. Quarterback Philip Rivers has said that he wants his coach to remain in San Diego.

These circumstances have led to the incredible possibility that Turner could see at least another year as the Chargers’ head man. Despite the disappointment of perhaps most of the fan base, this may not be the worst move for a team that has been on the brink of achieving postseason success.

If the cliché, “You are what your record says you are” holds true, then the Chargers are an average team. Unfortunately, they are probably the most talented average team in recent memory.

Turner can’t take all the blame. The knock on him had been that he was a slow starter who never got his teams prepared early enough in the season. A 4-1 start in 2011 shattered that criticism.

The next series of losses, six to be exact, had the city of San Diego calling for a clean sweep of the Chargers’ front office.

Thanks to parity in the NFL and the good fortune of playing in a weak division, the Chargers had hope of making the postseason until a Week 16 bludgeoning in Detroit eliminated them. Fortunately for Turner, that loss didn’t reveal any quit in the team. They were just overmatched.

Coming back and playing with heart in Week 17 against the Raiders with only pride on the line showed the team is still willing to fight hard for Turner. Though professionals should always play for personal pride, it doesn’t always play out that way.

Expect a decision on Turner to come in the next 24 hours, and don’t be surprised if the team keeps him.

Michael C. Jones is a Yahoo! Featured Contributor in Sports and follows all developments in the NFL.

Follow Michael on Twitter: @MJisyourhomeboy

Sources:

San Diego Chargers schedule at NFL.com

Kevin Acee on Twitter

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

SAN DIEGO – For his final news conference of the season, San Diego Chargers coach Norv Turner wore the Super Bowl ring he won as offensive co-ordinator of the 1992 Dallas Cowboys.

Turner denies it was a subliminal message to his current employer, which lost badly in its only Super Bowl appearance 17 years ago.

Still, no one recalls seeing Turner flashing the jewelry before. He also has a Super Bowl ring from 1993 with Dallas.

Turner knows his future is being debated by team president Dean Spanos, who also is deciding whether general manager A.J. Smith will be back after the Chargers (8-8) missed the playoffs for the second straight season.

It’s believed Spanos will take a few days to assess this season and previous seasons under Turner and Smith before announcing a decision. Turner has two years remaining on his contract, at a total of $6 million, and Smith has three years left on his, also at about $6 million total.

Asked if the fact he was still employed on Monday was a good sign, Turner quipped: “As (opposed to) leaving me in Oakland, you mean?”

Turner subtly defended himself during his news conference a day after the Chargers won at Oakland to end the Raiders’ playoff chances. The Chargers were eliminated a week earlier in a loss at Detroit.

“I’d be excited about being back,” said Turner, who is 49-31 in five years with San Diego but only 3-3 in the playoffs. “I’d be excited about this team. I don’t know that unless you’re living it day to day, you can appreciate it what these guys have been through, what this team has been through from a physical standpoint. They’ve responded and I do believe this team can go do some great things. We need to get better in some areas. I think part of that is our young guys having played, but we need to continue to add impact players.”

The Chargers started 4-1 and ended 4-1, but were doomed by a six-game losing streak in the middle of the season. Had they won one more game, they would have won the AFC West. Instead, Denver won the division despite losing three straight at the end of the schedule.

After the win at Oakland, Spanos told reporters: “It was really exciting. I’m really proud of them. I think it really shows how resilient they are, how hard they play for this coach.”

Spanos wasn’t available for further comment Monday.

“I am waiting for a decision like I do each and every year, but it’s not usually in this dramatic fashion,” Smith said. “Dean is going to take some time, which he always does.”

Many fans have felt since the losing streak that Turner must go, and there’s been an increasing call for Smith to get the heave-ho, too. Spanos will have to decide whether to keep the status quo, make wholesale changes or keep one or the other, but not both. Perhaps complicating the decision is that the team is expected to ask voters later this year for help in financing a new stadium.

Turner was fired by the Washington Redskins and Oakland in previous stints as an NFL head coach. His overall record in nearly 14 full seasons is 107-113-1.

Turner was hired in February 2007 after Marty Schottenheimer was fired for what Spanos said was a “dysfunctional” relationship with Smith. Turner inherited a team that went 14-2 before melting down in a home playoff loss to New England. Turner got the Chargers to the AFC championship game his first season before losing at New England. Since then, though, there’s been a steady decline in post-season success. San Diego has won only one playoff game in the last four seasons. Its last post-season appearance was an embarrassing home loss to the New York Jets in January 2010. The Chargers responded to that defeat by giving Turner a contract extension.

Quarterback Philip Rivers, centre Nick Hardwick and left guard Kris Dielman, who missed the last 10 games with a concussion, were among the players supporting Turner.

“The players have made it clear we love our coaching staff,” Hardwick said Monday.

“He’s a good coach, man,” Dielman said. “I don’t think you guys perceive him the right way with what he does for us. We’ve got good fans, I’m sure, but they look at it too black and white. There’s a lot of (stuff) that Norv does that is amazing. This guy is a genius in football and I just think he came upon some bad luck with injuries and whatnot. … He’s an amazing coach. He’s a great coach. I hope to see him stay here. I hope the rest of the guys stay here, too.”

Dielman, a four-time Pro Bowler, said he hasn’t decided if he’ll return next season. After sustaining a concussion in a loss at the New York Jets on Oct. 23, he remained in the game for several plays, and then suffered a seizure on the flight home.

“That was a scary little moment we had in New York,” Dielman said. “I’ve got a lot of decisions to make. I’ve got family now to consider. I don’t have to make a decision anytime soon. I won’t do anything to screw this organization by waiting out too long.”

Dielman said there’s one thing that could bring him back.

“No ring. I’ve only got a wedding ring,” he said. “I’ve done the Pro Bowls, I’ve done the contract. I want a Super Bowl. I’m no different than anybody else in San Diego that’s (complaining) and moaning about not being in the Super Bowl. Trust me; we want to be in the Super Bowl, too. It’s not an easy league.”

One of the most intriguing stories in the NFL in this week of change is what the San Diego Chargers will do.

The Chargers could fire both coach Norv Turner and general manager A.J. Smith, fire one and keep the other or keep both.

It seemed certain Turner would be fired once the Chargers were eliminated from playoff contention last week — the second time in two straight seasons San Diego has missed the postseason. Smith’s future, however, was more uncertain.

Yet after the Chargers dominated the Oakland Raiders in Oakland and knocked them out of the playoffs Sunday, there seems to be thought that perhaps both Turner and Smith could be kept. After a six-game losing streak in the middle of the season, the Chargers managed to win four of their final five games and finish with an 8-8 record.

San Diego owner Dean Spanos told the San Diego Union Tribune on Sunday he was impressed by the effort and he’d consider the situation for a couple of days.

CBS Sportsline is reporting that the team may be leaning toward keeping both Turner and Smith. Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union Tribune agrees. I heard similar talk as well. The players, led by quarterback Philip Rivers, are in Turner’s corner.

I think the Chargers believe they have the makings of a good team and would rather keep it together than tear apart their leadership core. But ownership also knows the fan base is antsy because of the recent failures. With the team trying to secure a new stadium in downtown San Diego, fan sentiment means a lot these days.

If Turner and Smith are kept, it will certainly be on a year-to-year basis. To appease the fans, if no chances are made, I would think the Chargers would have to get aggressive this offseason to add some big-name players, especially on defense. Another playoff-less season will not be tolerated.

It seems everything is still on the table in San Diego, but with Black Monday coming to an end, the fact that Turner and Smith are still around, may be working in their favor. If Spanos knew he wanted to make a change for sure, he would have done so already.

Timing is critical because other teams are already getting a jump on candidates. NFL.com reported that former Titans’ coach Jeff Fisher would be interested in the Chargers. He reportedly is already lining up interviews with the Rams and Dolphins. Fisher is one of the best coaching options available. If the Chargers want him, you’d think they’d act quickly.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — For his final news conference of the season, San Diego Chargers coach Norv Turner wore the Super Bowl ring he won as offensive coordinator of the 1992 Dallas Cowboys.

Turner denies it was a subliminal message to his current employer, which lost badly in its only Super Bowl appearance 17 years ago.

Still, no one recalls seeing Turner flashing the jewelry before. He also has a Super Bowl ring from 1993 with Dallas.

Turner knows his future is being debated by team president Dean Spanos, who also is deciding whether general manager A.J. Smith will be back after the Chargers (8-8) missed the playoffs for the second straight season.

It’s believed Spanos will take a few days to assess this season and previous seasons under Turner and Smith before announcing a decision. Turner has two years remaining on his contract, at a total of $6 million, and Smith has three years left on his, also at about $6 million total.

Asked if the fact he was still employed on Monday was a good sign, Turner quipped: “As (opposed to) leaving me in Oakland, you mean?”

Turner subtly defended himself during his news conference a day after the Chargers won at Oakland to end the Raiders’ playoff chances. The Chargers were eliminated a week earlier in a loss at Detroit.

“I’d be excited about being back,” said Turner, who is 49-31 in five years with San Diego but only 3-3 in the playoffs. “I’d be excited about this team. I don’t know that unless you’re living it day to day, you can appreciate it what these guys have been through, what this team has been through from a physical standpoint. They’ve responded and I do believe this team can go do some great things. We need to get better in some areas. I think part of that is our young guys having played, but we need to continue to add impact players.”

The Chargers started 4-1 and ended 4-1, but were doomed by a six-game losing streak in the middle of the season. Had they won one more game, they would have won the AFC West. Instead, Denver won the division despite losing three straight at the end of the schedule.

After the win at Oakland, Spanos told reporters: “It was really exciting. I’m really proud of them. I think it really shows how resilient they are, how hard they play for this coach.”

Spanos wasn’t available for further comment Monday.

“I am waiting for a decision like I do each and every year, but it’s not usually in this dramatic fashion,” Smith said. “Dean is going to take some time, which he always does.”

Many fans have felt since the losing streak that Turner must go, and there’s been an increasing call for Smith to get the heave-ho, too. Spanos will have to decide whether to keep the status quo, make wholesale changes or keep one or the other, but not both. Perhaps complicating the decision is that the team is expected to ask voters later this year for help in financing a new stadium.

Turner was fired by the Washington Redskins and Oakland in previous stints as an NFL head coach. His overall record in nearly 14 full seasons is 107-113-1.

Turner was hired in February 2007 after Marty Schottenheimer was fired for what Spanos said was a “dysfunctional” relationship with Smith. Turner inherited a team that went 14-2 before melting down in a home playoff loss to New England. Turner got the Chargers to the AFC championship game his first season before losing at New England. Since then, though, there’s been a steady decline in postseason success. San Diego has won only one playoff game in the last four seasons. Its last postseason appearance was an embarrassing home loss to the New York Jets in January 2010. The Chargers responded to that defeat by giving Turner a contract extension.

Quarterback Philip Rivers, center Nick Hardwick and left guard Kris Dielman, who missed the last 10 games with a concussion, were among the players supporting Turner.

“The players have made it clear we love our coaching staff,” Hardwick said Monday.

“He’s a good coach, man,” Dielman said. “I don’t think you guys perceive him the right way with what he does for us. We’ve got good fans, I’m sure, but they look at it too black and white. There’s a lot of (stuff) that Norv does that is amazing. This guy is a genius in football and I just think he came upon some bad luck with injuries and whatnot. … He’s an amazing coach. He’s a great coach. I hope to see him stay here. I hope the rest of the guys stay here, too.”

Dielman, a four-time Pro Bowler, said he hasn’t decided if he’ll return next season. After sustaining a concussion in a loss at the New York Jets on Oct. 23, he remained in the game for several plays, and then suffered a seizure on the flight home.

“That was a scary little moment we had in New York,” Dielman said. “I’ve got a lot of decisions to make. I’ve got family now to consider. I don’t have to make a decision anytime soon. I won’t do anything to screw this organization by waiting out too long.”

Dielman said there’s one thing that could bring him back.

“No ring. I’ve only got a wedding ring,” he said. “I’ve done the Pro Bowls, I’ve done the contract. I want a Super Bowl. I’m no different than anybody else in San Diego that’s (complaining) and moaning about not being in the Super Bowl. Trust me; we want to be in the Super Bowl, too. It’s not an easy league.”

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

SAN DIEGO (AP)—For his final news conference of the season, San Diego
Chargers coach Norv Turner wore the Super Bowl ring he won as offensive
coordinator of the 1992 Dallas Cowboys.

Turner denies it was a subliminal message to his current employer, which
lost badly in its only Super Bowl appearance 17 years ago.

Still, no one recalls seeing Turner flashing the jewelry before. He also has
a Super Bowl ring from 1993 with Dallas.

Turner knows his future is being debated by team president Dean Spanos, who
also is deciding whether general manager A.J. Smith will be back after the
Chargers (8-8) missed the playoffs for the second straight season.

It’s believed Spanos will take a few days to assess this season and previous
seasons under Turner and Smith before announcing a decision. Turner has two
years remaining on his contract, at a total of $6 million, and Smith has three
years left on his, also at about $6 million total.

Asked if the fact he was still employed on Monday was a good sign, Turner
quipped: “As (opposed to) leaving me in Oakland, you mean?”

Turner subtly defended himself during his news conference a day after the
Chargers won at Oakland to end the Raiders’ playoff chances. The Chargers were
eliminated a week earlier in a loss at Detroit.

“I’d be excited about being back,” said Turner, who is 49-31 in five years
with San Diego but only 3-3 in the playoffs. “I’d be excited about this team. I
don’t know that unless you’re living it day to day, you can appreciate it what
these guys have been through, what this team has been through from a physical
standpoint. They’ve responded and I do believe this team can go do some great
things. We need to get better in some areas. I think part of that is our young
guys having played, but we need to continue to add impact players.”

The Chargers started 4-1 and ended 4-1, but were doomed by a six-game losing
streak in the middle of the season. Had they won one more game, they would have
won the AFC West. Instead, Denver won the division despite losing three straight
at the end of the schedule.

After the win at Oakland, Spanos told reporters: “It was really exciting.
I’m really proud of them. I think it really shows how resilient they are, how
hard they play for this coach.”

Spanos wasn’t available for further comment Monday.

“I am waiting for a decision like I do each and every year, but it’s not
usually in this dramatic fashion,” Smith said. “Dean is going to take some
time, which he always does.”

Many fans have felt since the losing streak that Turner must go, and there’s
been an increasing call for Smith to get the heave-ho, too. Spanos will have to
decide whether to keep the status quo, make wholesale changes or keep one or the
other, but not both. Perhaps complicating the decision is that the team is
expected to ask voters later this year for help in financing a new stadium.

Turner was fired by the Washington Redskins and Oakland in previous stints
as an NFL head coach. His overall record in nearly 14 full seasons is 107-113-1.

Turner was hired in February 2007 after Marty Schottenheimer was fired for
what Spanos said was a “dysfunctional” relationship with Smith. Turner
inherited a team that went 14-2 before melting down in a home playoff loss to
New England. Turner got the Chargers to the AFC championship game his first
season before losing at New England. Since then, though, there’s been a steady
decline in postseason success. San Diego has won only one playoff game in the
last four seasons. Its last postseason appearance was an embarrassing home loss
to the New York Jets in January 2010. The Chargers responded to that defeat by
giving Turner a contract extension.

Quarterback Philip Rivers, center Nick Hardwick and left guard Kris Dielman,
who missed the last 10 games with a concussion, were among the players
supporting Turner.

“The players have made it clear we love our coaching staff,” Hardwick said
Monday.

“He’s a good coach, man,” Dielman said. “I don’t think you guys perceive
him the right way with what he does for us. We’ve got good fans, I’m sure, but
they look at it too black and white. There’s a lot of (stuff) that Norv does
that is amazing. This guy is a genius in football and I just think he came upon
some bad luck with injuries and whatnot. … He’s an amazing coach. He’s a great
coach. I hope to see him stay here. I hope the rest of the guys stay here,
too.”

Dielman, a four-time Pro Bowler, said he hasn’t decided if he’ll return next
season. After sustaining a concussion in a loss at the New York Jets on Oct. 23,
he remained in the game for several plays, and then suffered a seizure on the
flight home.

“That was a scary little moment we had in New York,” Dielman said. “I’ve
got a lot of decisions to make. I’ve got family now to consider. I don’t have to
make a decision anytime soon. I won’t do anything to screw this organization by
waiting out too long.”

Dielman said there’s one thing that could bring him back.

“No ring. I’ve only got a wedding ring,” he said. “I’ve done the Pro
Bowls, I’ve done the contract. I want a Super Bowl. I’m no different than
anybody else in San Diego that’s (complaining) and moaning about not being in
the Super Bowl. Trust me; we want to be in the Super Bowl, too. It’s not an easy
league.”

The injury report for the Oakland Raiders heading into the all important game against the San Diego Chargers may be the shortest list we’ve seen all year. That’s especially good news for the Silver and Black who have their postseason on the line with this final game of the regular season.

There are just three players who are definitely out, and that’s quarterback Jason Campbell, who wasn’t really expected to return after suffering a broken collar bone in week six, running back Darren McFadden, whose chances were already slim to none, and defensive tackle, Big John, John Henderson, out with a knee injury.

The players who are listed as questionable, are likely to see at least some time on the field, and receiver Jacoby Ford and safety Michael Huff have already been pretty adamant about getting in the game.

Ford commented, “It was definitely a positive week for me so I feel good going into the game. If I practiced this much this week and I’m not out there, I’d be mad.”

He could become a big factor in a victory for the Raiders. Ford and Palmer displayed a great rhythm together. In Palmer’s second outing with the team as they faced the Denver Broncos in Oakland, Ford made an incredible catch in the end zone for an 18-yard touchdown. Just days later in San Diego, he somehow grabbed a 41-yarder, making it look easy.

Huff is the player who saved the game for the Raiders against the Texans when he interception Houston’s Matt Schaub in the end zone. A healthy Huff will bring much needed improvement to Oakland’s defense.

Running back Taiwan Jones is a little more questionable. He’s been battling a hamstring injury, but it’s likely he’ll see time on the field as well. Michael Bush, once again, will be given the opportunity to show what he’s made of.

The Chargers’ wide receiver Vincent Jackson was reportedly not likely to be in the game due to a groin injury, but it looks like that has changed, and he’s now listed as probable. Jackson is one of the Chargers star players, but against the Raiders he caught just one pass for 22 yards. In their recent game against Detroit he had just two catches for 41 yards. He may be trying to play through pain, and I don’t think he’ll be a big concern for the Raiders on Sunday. San Diego’s running back Ryan Mathews is still questionable, with running back Mike Tolbert as probable.

Just one day before we find out the fate of the Silver and Black, things continue to look brighter. As always, whoever is on, or off, the field, Just win baby!

K.C. Dermody grew up in the Bay Area of California, and has been an Oakland Raiders fan from the time she could walk. She has continued her loyalty to the team through its many ups and downs over the decades, and has been privileged to meet several of her favorite players, including famed quarterback, Jim Plunkett . Follow her at www.facebook.com/KCDermodyWriter, Twitter @kcdermody, or www.kcdermodywriter.com.

More from this contributor:

Oakland Raiders’ Michael Bush Will Have a Chance to Shine Against the Chargers: Fan’s Take

Five Reasons the Oakland Raiders Will Defeat the San Diego Chargers: Fan’s Take

Oakland Raiders Win, Denver Broncos Loss May Be in the Cards: Fan’s Look

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