An NFL Season That Could Have Been for the San Diego Chargers

The most polarizing, baffling organizing in the NFL seems to have once again failed.

For the second straight season, the San Diego Chargers, in all likelihood, will miss the postseason, despite a characteristic late-season surge, including a walloping of one of the AFC's elite in the Baltimore Ravens.

But barring a drastic turn of events in the season's final two weeks, San Diegans will once again head into another, long offseason scratching their heads, asking the same question.

Why?

Why can't a team filled with Pro Bowl-caliber players on both sides of the ball put together an entire season of solid, disciplined football from start to finish, game in and game out? 

The Chargers ripped the Ravens in every facet of the game on Sunday night's national NBC broadcast, showing a glimpse of what this team is capable of. 

And in a year when there is truly no great AFC team, the Chargers have to be looking back at this season and "kicking" themselves by letting opportunities slip away, game after game.

Look at their six-game losing streak in the middle of the season, and every game was a winnable game for them. 

It started at MetLife Stadium, where the Bolts took a 21-10 lead into the second half against the Jets, only to let Mark Sanchez lead a fourth-quarter comeback to win it for New York.

Then, just eight days later on Monday Night Football, Philip Rivers fumbles a snap against Kansas City, where San Diego would have likely kicked a game-winning field goal on the very next play. The Chiefs recovered the fumble and eventually won in OT.

And then a crucial AFC West home loss to the Denver Broncos, where the offense was unable to develop any type of continuity the entire game. But even so, San Diego still had a field-goal attempt in OT to win the game. Chargers kicker Nick Novak missed the kick, and the Broncos won the game later in overtime. 

Sprinkle in touchdown losses to both the world champion Green Bay Packers and, at that point, the "Still Cutler Led" Chicago Bears, and you get a team that blew every opportunity to make a serious run to the Super Bowl.

Once again, Chargers fans are left to speculate Norv Turner's future and contemplate a season that could have been.