Packers vs. Chargers: Why San Diego Has a Good Shot of Upsetting Green Bay

There’s no doubt that the Packers deserve their favorite status in this one, but just being favored doesn’t mean that this game will be a cakewalk.

San Diego is coming off back-to-back losses, but the fact is the Chargers have lost by making mistakes. If they can end the mistakes, they can end the losing.

And the fact is that in three games in San Diego this year, they haven’t lost as much as they have given the game away.

Most of quarterback Philip Rivers’ mistakes have been away from home. He’s thrown seven on his 11 interceptions on the road and both his completion percentage (66.7) and his quarterback rating (84.3) are much better at home.

The Packers are a perfect 7-0 and quarterback Aaron Rodgers is lighting things up through the air, with an offense that has scored more points than any other.

The Chargers are in the middle of the pack both offensively and defensively, but they seem to be a different team at home, averaging almost 400 yards and 23 points on offense against less than 230 yards and 17 points on defense in their games in Qualcomm Stadium.

This game figures to be the toughest test of the season since Week 1’s win over the New Orleans Saints for the Packers, whose opponents so far are a combined 20-32 and have mostly made for an easy path to 7-0 for Green Bay.

The Chargers have allowed just 1,301 yards through the air in seven games, giving San Diego the third-best pass defense in the NFL and the best test this year for Rodgers, who has thrown for 2,372 yards all by himself.

Meanwhile, Rivers has thrown for almost 2,000 yards despite his interception issues, and if he can keep the ball out of the hands of the Packers defensive backfield, it could make for a long day for Green Bay.

If Rodgers and the Packers are going to stub their toes in 2011, this might well be the week it happens.