Unfortunately for Sanders, he often was a one-man show. The Lions had many players with heart, but could never put together a team that was a real threat to make it to the Super Bowl, meaning if you could figure out how to stop Barry on a given Sunday, you would probably win the game.

Until 2006, it was easy to put the San Diego Chargers in the same category. LaDainian Tomlinson has turned in consistent stats year after year that make him a first-round shoe-in at Canton, but his team was extremely one-dimensional. Tomlinson carried a burden that gave him a higher workload than other running backs. Over his first five seasons, he had more than 300 rushing attempts each year, meaning that, as with Sanders, it was no secret what the play was going to be.

While running is a must for a team to win the big one, you also need to have other weapons as well. The Chargers’ lack of weapons is apparent when you look at their records in recent years: From 1993 to 2005, the Chargers made the playoffs only once, in a first-round loss at home in January of 2005. Before the season began, this looked to be another season of great Tomlinson stats, but little to look forward to come January with the Colts, Steelers and Patriots dominating the preseason picks of most prognosticators.

This year, the Chargers weren't planning a vacation in January at the start of the season, as they’ve put forward a consistent team effort to rack up 11 wins through mid-December and suddenly find themselves in the unusual position of playing for the top seed in the playoffs, rather than hoping other teams lose so they can earn a wild-card berth. Here’s how they’ve done it.

Stating the obvious. Tomlinson is any fantasy owner’s dream. With three games to go, he’s already set the record for most touchdowns in a season, racking up over 1400 yards in the process. He’s a threat every time he touches the ball, which is why the Chargers never have to abandon the run. The Chargers set a record this season for two consecutive comeback wins after trailing by 17 points or more and allowing more than 24 points, because the team seemingly never panics. Most teams would start airing out the ball, and while QB Philip Rivers can do that, the Chargers know their best chance is by using their best weapon to make plays, which is why they keep giving the rock to Tomlinson. (Incidentally, he can throw too. In the Bolts’ comeback over the Raiders, Tomlinson had a 19-yard TD pass to tight-end Antonio Gates to tie the game in the fourth quarter.)

Rivers Proves Himself. Chargers fans had reason to worry when the team failed to re-sign QB Drew Brees in the offseason. Rivers, the 2004 draft pick, had a great college career, but was untested in the NFL. Brees was instrumental in helping to orchestrate the Chargers turnaround season of 2004, and his loss looked to make the team even more one-dimensional. Others, however, saw a rising star in Rivers, citing his 72% completion rate in his senior year at North Carolina State. The Rivers’ apologists would be proven right; while Brees is having a great season, Rivers has proven to be more than a one-hit wonder after his 2006 debut, where he had a 133.9 passer rating in the opener. His most memorable game (that may be the defining game of the season) came against the Bengals. With his team trailing 28-7 at the half, Rivers led his team back in the second half by throwing three TD passes, while Tomlinson would run for four. Rivers' ability to find receivers has given the Chargers the balanced attack that is a must for January success.

Gates keeps on shining. Were it not for Tomlinson, Gates would be the most recognizable player on the Chargers. In 2005, Gates was the Associated Press unanimous choice for all-pro tight end, and was a favorite target of Brees. The previous season, he set the NFL single-season record for touchdowns by a tight end. Not bad for a guy who came to the NFL not having played college football. Gates is easy to get overlooked by Tomlinson on the highlight reel, but he’s a big reason the Chargers keep on rolling. In the Bolts’ win over the Broncos on December 10th that gave them the AFC West title, Rivers and Gates hooked up for 7 times for 104 yards and 2 TDs, giving Gates 8 for the season. Having shown that 2005 was no fluke, Gates looks to be a major factor for the Chargers heading into January and beyond, having signed a six-year contract at the start of the season.

Defense playing well. The offensive onslaught the Chargers have brought during their winning streak has led many to overlook the defense, which has quietly been making key plays for the Bolts. The defense has played well together as a unit, with different players seeming to step up each Sunday. In Week 8, safety Marlon McCree returned a key fumble for 79 yards against the Rams for a TD; the following week linebacker Marques Harris recovered a fumble in the end zone for a TD. In the marquee game against the Bengals, linebacker Shaun Phillips had a key sack of Carson Palmer and recovered a fumble that allowed Tomlinson to later score a TD to give the Bolts the lead for good. Cornerback Drayton Florence, who had a big interception in the Week 11 game against the Broncos to set up a Tomlinson TD, put it best: “Sometimes all it takes is one play, especially the way our offense is putting up points.” Sure, the Chargers defense has given up points, but with a different player stepping up each week to make a big play, some of the heat has been taken off of LT and company to add to the Chargers complete package.

The 2004 season ended in disappointment for the Chargers with a first-round playoff exit. Even so, more than 1000 fans waited six-plus hours to greet the team when camp opened in the summer of 2005. Never having won a Super Bowl, fans in San Diego are hungry, and 2006 may just end with a victory celebration in Miami. Though it’s anyone’s guess who will emerge from the AFC with many quality teams vying for the title, Bolts fans have much reason for optimism as this team is truly a complete package.