A) Allowed 379 yards of total offense. In the second half. That's basically impossible to do whether you're winning or losing, or playing any sort of defense or offense at all. The top three performances for most yards gained in a game by one team were all set in the 40's and 50's, and they're all in the 680-750 yard range.
(In essence, last Sunday, the Seahawks were the worst team, defensively, in the history of the sport, as measured by yards allowed, for a half. Their only competition is teams from 60 years ago. Those teams' dead players would have done a better job last Sunday at Qwest.)
B) Gained 10 yards of offense through the air in the second half and 26 yards total after halftime. Yes, the Chargers outgained the Hawks 379-26 in half number 2. Yeah. 379-26. That's correct. A factor of 14.6 to 1, you were about to say.
C) Fumbled away a sure touchdown less than one yard from the goal line, resulting in a touchback. Those are worth no points. They sound like a touchdown, except they are a million billionty times worse.
D) Scored zero points after a second and goal from the 2 with 20 seconds left in the half.
E) Allowed a safety and a two-point conversion and threw an interception at the goal line.
(None of those events in C), D) or E) overlapped, by the way. They were all separate events.)
They shouldn't have won the game, except that they should have. Because they also:
A) Returned two kickoffs for touchdowns. Again, in the second half. Leon Washington scored twice and finished with 253 return yards. He's still sucking on oxygen as we speak.
B) Sacked Philip Rivers four times, hit him nine more, and tipped or intercepted eight of his attempts.
C) Were the beneficiary of five San Diego turnovers, including three fumbles. (They scored a measly 10 points off those giveaways, but still, this is the positive part of the post, so shut up already, me.)
D) Picked off the potential game-tying or game-winning TD pass with 10 seconds left.
E) Had 67,000 screaming fans behind them who forced two false starts and two delay of game penalties on the Chargers' last possession.
That was the most entertaining-infuriating-frustrating-exhilirating-undeserved-deserved-heart-stopping win I've seen. Ever. In any sport.
I don't think this team is very good. It imploded in the second half, and it absolutely could not defend once its top corner, linebacker and defensive lineman left with injuries. Pete Carroll donated three or seven points to San Diego with an epic mismanagement of the closing seconds of the first half. It lucked out by winning two out of three instant replay reviews. And it won't always get Leon to generate 14 points all by himself every week. (Duh.)
Here's the box. Here's the best recap I read so far. Here's to a boring win next Sunday in St. Louis.
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