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San Diego Chargers

As NFL.com's Kevin Patra framed it: "The San Diego Chargers' ability to conjure up new and impressive way to lose football games is becoming quite a show.

"Sunday's edition of 'How To Lose A Game in 10 Ways' included two fumbles inside their own 31-yard-line on back-to-back drives with a 13-point lead and under seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter."

One play, Melvin Gordon fumble; one play, Travis Benjamin fumble; four plays, Philip Rivers interception. After the game, McCoy said the Chargers "absolutely gave this one away."

"(I'm) furious," head coach Mike McCoy said when asked about his state of mind after the 35-34 loss to the New Orleans Saints, via ESPN. "It's a major disappointment. You get the lead we had, and to fall apart -- a major disappointment. Frustration is an understatement. I can't say right now in this microphone how I really, truly feel."

Sunday's loss pushed the Chargers to 1-3 for the season. In the past two years, San Diego is 3-12 in games decided by eight points or fewer. In a league in which most teams hover around the .500 mark in toss-up games, McCoy's 20 percent win-rate in such contests protrudes in the negative.

Coaches get fired for losses like Sunday. McCoy entered the season on the hot seat. So it's safe to say there's no cooling in sight.

McCoy's squad has lost 15 of their past 20 games. In each of the three losses this season, the Chargers owned a lead with under five minutes remaining and blew it.

San Diego ownership might not be one to make hasty decisions -- 1998 marked the last in-season coaching change -- but do have an offensive coordinator in Ken Whisenhunt with head coaching experience.

"I know one way -- to come in tomorrow, work my ass off and get this team ready to go to Oakland," McCoy said when asked about his job security. "I don't worry about any of that. I am coaching this football team the way I know how to do it, and we're going to grind."

The way McCoy has been coaching so far has led to close loss after close loss.

According to the Sports Xchange, that wasn't all sweat in quarterback Philip Rivers' eyes in the wake of Sunday's dreadful loss.

Rivers seemed on the verge of tears and his voice cracked with heartbreak after the Chargers squandered another fourth-quarter lead. "It seems like each loss we say, 'I don't know if it can get any tougher than that,'" Rivers said. "Somehow, we found a way to top each one. This one is really unlike any other I can remember in the way it happened."

According to ESPN.com's Eric D. Williams, San Diego needs more of a player-driven system to have more success. McCoy should take a back seat to the more dominant personalities on the roster, such as Rivers, nose tackle Brandon Mebane and Antonio Gates.

"The only thing we can do is hang together and make plays," Mebane said. "We have confidence in ourselves as players. We can still win our division. We're going to look at the film on Monday and stay together."

Bottom line? As San Diego Union-Tribune staffer Kevin Acee notes, it's not a stretch to say the Chargers could be 4-0. But they are not. They are 1-3. They are 5-15 since the start of last season.

If this season is not already lost, it could be soon.

Three of the Chargers' next four games are against AFC West opponents. Two of those are on the road. Things need to change, but based on what we've seen from McCoy run teams, there's not much reason for optimism. ...

Other notes of interest. ... Gordon is the only back to score in every game this season. But his six touchdowns, which included two on Sunday, are overshadowed by his critical fourth-quarter fumble. His first fumble of the year fueled the Saints' unlikely rally. "I have to be better in that situation," Gordon said.

Still, Gordon continued to prove he might be the most improved player in the NFL from a season ago.

As NFL.com's Edward Lewis noted, despite the late-game fumble, Gordon showed off patience and burst that he lacked last year. He didn't rush for much on the ground, compiling 36 yards on 19 carries, but he scored a touchdown for the fourth consecutive game and now has an NFL-high six rushing touchdowns this season. He did damage through the air, too, catching six balls for 43 yards.

Rivers threw for 321 yards, completing 28-of-43, with a touchdown. But some key drops killed him; his pass protection was leaky when it counted most; nothing was bigger than Benjamin fumbling a reception late in the game without being hit.

Gates (hamstring) missed his second straight week. Gates, 36, hasn't practiced in two weeks -- although he was on the field for the start of Wednesday's practice (taking part in the stretching portion). Rookie Hunter Henry has filled in admirably. In fact, Harmon believes Henry may even be an upgrade at this moment in their careers.

And finally. ... ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that CB Jason Verrett played past two games with what he worries could be a torn ligament in his knee. He is meeting with doctors Wednesday to determine the extent of the knee injury, and whether or not he can play through it.

Verrett is hoping that it's not severe enough that he misses games, but he does not know the extent of the injury, and it's possible he has been playing with a torn ligament. If he misses any time, it would be a continuation of big blows for a Chargers team that already has lost Keenan Allen and Danny Woodhead to season-ending injuries.