Chargers to rest players Sunday

Sunday, January 2, 2005

Associated Press

SAN DIEGO -- Except for the sellout crowd, the San Diego Chargers' game Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs will have all the charm of an exhibition on a hot August night.

In this surprising season, that's not a bad thing for the Chargers.

Instead of playing out another wretched season and then disappearing until the draft, the Chargers (11-4) are preparing for their first playoff appearance since 1995.

They clinched the AFC West two weeks ago and are locked into the AFC's No. 4 seed, which means they'll host a playoff game next weekend, most likely Saturday.

Which means Pro Bowlers LaDainian Tomlinson and Drew Brees might not play in order to stay healthy for the playoffs. Philip Rivers -- now way behind fellow rookies Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning -- might get to throw his first NFL pass.

While the Chargers are in the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons, Schottenheimer is there for the first time in his last five seasons. He missed the postseason in his last year in Kansas City in 1998, his only season in Washington in 2001, and his first two years here.

Playing time Sunday will resemble an exhibition game. Those starters who do play will make way for reserves, and some, such as Tomlinson and Brees, might not play at all.

''It's quite possible we'll rotate some people through,'' said the 61-year-old Schottenheimer, who's got a good chance of winning the Coach of the Year award for the first time. ''You know, I don't know if I've been in this exact circumstance before, or I'm so old I can't remember what I did in those days.''

The Chiefs (7-8) lost eight of their first 11 games this season, but have won four straight since their last defeat, 34-31 at home against San Diego on Nov. 28.

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