Let's quickly review all of the rotten things that happened to Diego last season, one where the Chargers were 8-8 and showed flashes of brilliance and random head-scratchers, sometimes in the same half or quarter of the same game. Stud linebacker Shawne Merriman was lost for the season in the first game - a loss on the last play to Carolina at home. MVP running back LaDainian Tomlinson suffered a sprained toe, the first in a series of injuries that rarely saw him healthy in 2008. The second game was where the officials blew two calls, including referee Ed Hochuli going public with an apology (one where the NFL told him to STOP apologizing) after costing San Diego a close loss at Denver. The Chargers made four trips back east AND played a game in London against New Orleans. A loss to Atlanta at home on the last day of November put them at 4-8 and all but out. A four-game win streak to end the leason, and amazingly, Denver losing its last three to also wind up 8-8 (SD trounced the lifeless Broncos 52-21 in the season finale at home) gave the division to the Chargers, who beat white-hot Indy before losing at Pittsburgh in their sixth game (of 18) in the Eastern me zone or further east.

Get your FREE copy NOW!

The positives from that are plentiful. Longtime successful Denver coach Mike Shanahan was fired, and the rest of the division is still woeful. Luck can't be much worse than it was last year, and SD still figured out a way to get to the playoffs, making their grip on the division tighter than anyone else in football heading into camp. Merriman and Tomlinson are healthy for the first time in at least a year. Both will bolster strong parts of their respective units (LB and RB, respectively)... the concern lies in a seconday that gave up 68 (!) percent completions and ranked second-to-last against the pass.

Get your 2009 NFL Football Preview Guide