San Diego Tribune: The Chargers' injury report is terse and
troubling. Ladainian Tomlinson's groin pull renders the RB
officially "questionable" for Saturday night's playoff bash with
the Colts, and LT's weekly practice log is a tale of whoa:
"Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: Did Not Participate" Same thing
with TE Antonio Gates and his high ankle sprain: DNP. DNP. DNP.
That's 2 Hall of Fame talents and 2 ominous outlooks, an eerie
reprise of the Chargers' health problems preceding last year's AFC
Championship Game, and a particularly worrisome position for a
team about to do battle with Peyton Manning. It's hard to win a
shootout when your best weapons are low on ammunition and harder
still to imagine the Chargers' 31st-ranked pass defense stopping
the NFL's quintessential QB. For all of the giddy enthusiasm
engendered by the Bolts' improbable run to the playoffs, harsh
reality has returned following a 4-week hiatus. The Chargers are
certainly capable of beating the Colts - and did so, short-handed,
in last season's divisional playoffs in Indy - but this year's
team is not last year's team and can't be so long as Shawne
Merriman is a spectator. When Tomlinson and Gates are both
"questionable," the Chargers, collectively, become "doubtful."
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