Cowboys ready to upset Chargers this weekend?

Wade Phillips is loved by members of the San Diego Chargers’ defense.

Problem is he’s now head coach of the Dallas Cowboys ... not defensive coordinator of the Chargers.

LaDainian Tomlinson grew up loving the Dallas Cowboys.

Problem is he’s still the star running back for the San Diego Chargers, who have won seven straight games.

Igor Olshansky was a fan favorite with the Chargers but now plays for the Cowboys.

DeMarcus Ware of the Cowboys was picked one spot ahead of San Diego’s Shawne Merriman in the 2005 NFL draft … and Merriman hasn’t forgotten.

Yes, there will be lots of coincidences when the Chargers and Cowboys meet for the first time in four years Sunday at Cowboys Stadium.

Philip Rivers of the Chargers is proving to be as good of a quarterback as there is in the NFL. Tony Romo of the Cowboys seems to be more hooked on being Tony Romeo with the women than a winner of crucial games in the NFL.

The Chargers haven’t lost a game in December since 2005. The Cowboys seemingly haven’t had a winning December since Roger Staubach was QB (OK, a little bit of an exaggeration.)

Since the Chargers don’t lose in December and the Cowboys don’t win, that should make Sunday’s game an easy pick.

Not so fast!

Prediction:
Cowboys 23, Chargers 21

Chargers have a lot of Norv

This is no time for excuses.

Quit saying that it will take time for Norv Turner to implement his system with the Chargers.

There is no reason for this team to be a loser at this point, just because the head coach is new. (After all, isn't former Chargers defensive coordinator Wade Phillips 3-0 in Dallas?)

Look at the last time the Chargers hired a new head coach. His name was Marty Schottenheimer; the year 2002.

He took over a team that lost its last nine games in 2001. All his first Chargers’ team did was start out 6-1 on the way to an 8-8 season. (An injury to defensive stalwart Jamal Williams led to the team losing its final four games.)

There goes the excuse of taking time for a new coach and his team to jell.

With no apology to the apologists at the San Diego Union-Tribune, hiring Turner for the 2007 season was a horrible decision.

Turner couldn’t win in nine previous seasons as a head coach, and Hall of Famer to be Jerry Rice says Turner will never win as a head coach because he can’t motivate.

This is a Chargers’ squad that was supposed to be Super Bowl-ready. In reality, it’s a team that will be fighting for its life this Sunday against Kansas City with a 1-2 record.

Cris Collinsworth got it right during Sunday Night Football on NBC-TV. He sent out a bulletin to all teams saying you should not fire a coach who goes 14-2.

That’s what the Chargers did with Schottenheimer.

Without Schottenheimer and team leader Donnie Edwards at linebacker, the Chargers seem lost.

I wonder if a certain Union-Tribune columnist still sees General Manager A.J. Smith as the equivalent of John Wayne for being involved in the wonderful moves to get rid of Schottenheimer and Edwards.

Chargers need to get offensive

How about those Chargers?

Hire a former offensive coordinator as head coach and you get a great defensive performance.

The Dallas Cowboys hire the Chargers former defensive coordinator and receive a great offensive performance.

Could it be Norv Turner’s Chargers against Wade Phillips’ Cowboys in the Super Bowl?

Don’t bet on it, but don’t count out the possibility.

The Chargers may have a "revenge" game Sunday night at New England, but they better take it up a couple of notches. A repeat of their overall performance in a 14-3 win over the Chicago Bears won’t cut it against New England because of the difference in competition.

No matter what happens, it won’t take away the sting of January’s playoff loss in San Diego to the Patriots.