Overtime is no problem for a team with sudden life.
Darren Sproles, filling in grandly for banged-up LaDainian Tomlinson, burst 22 yards for the OT touchdown as San Diego came back to beat Indianapolis, 23-17, in a first-round playoff game Saturday night.
The Chargers have overcome identity theft. The preseason AFC favorites, buried at 4-8 on Thanksgiving weekend, have now won five consecutive games and will play Pittsburgh on Sunday, in hopes of continuing their reincarnation.
“Everybody was asking me why we were 4-8, just they’re asking me now why we’re winning, and I can’t put my finger on it either way,” quarterback Philip Rivers said. “But we have a coach [Norv Turner] who didn’t get away from the plan, and he stuck with us when everyone was trying to tear our locker room apart.”
