Half & Half

As tempting as it is for us to never write anything again -- so that SDSU cheerleader picture can forever remain at the top of the page -- it's time to get back to business.
The Chargers play at Buffalo on Sunday, and it should be fun to see what kind of gift the officiating crew will present to the Bolts this time.
Fans are still buzzing over that bizarre "forward pass" call that gift-wrapped a win for the Chargers over the Raiders last Sunday, but we're pondering other things.
We're wondering when the Bolts are ever going to put together four quarters of solid football.
Hell, we'll settle for three quarters.
For what seems like forever now, the Chargers have been playing horrible football in the first half, then they come out and flip the switch in the second half and come back and win (sometimes with assistance from the refs).
It's been a disturbing pattern for this team, and it might be a good idea to rectify this half & half thing before the playoffs.
Every little thing is magnified in the playoffs: that missed tackle on the opening kickoff, that interception in the first five minutes of the game, Marty Schottenheimer's receding hairline. They could all be the difference between a playoff win and a playoff loss (well, maybe not Marty's hair).
A playoff game could be won or lost in the first five minutes of the game, and if the Chargers don't learn how to open with the same intensity that they close ... well, enjoy the Pro Bowl, fellas.
When you look at what this Charger team has done, LaDainian Tomlinson's performances obviously stand out, but really there's simply one and only one reason why they're 9-2 and sitting where they are right now:
Turnovers -- the lack of them.
The Chargers have turned the ball over only nine times all season, the lowest number in the league.
That is why they've had so much success this year.
So what happens in the playoffs if that suddenly changes? What happens if Philip Rivers suddenly throws three first-quarter interceptions in his first playoff game? The fact that the team has protected the ball well during the regular season will mean nothing once the playoffs start.
And let's not overlook the obvious. The competition will be better in the playoffs. You can fall behind and come back to win against inferior teams (Cleveland) and overrated teams (Cincinnati, Denver), but good luck doing that in the postseason.
Bill Belichick will wear a suit on the sidelines before he'd allow his team to blow a multiple-touchdown lead in a playoff game.