Of the barriers between Philip Rivers and mates winning the upcoming Super Bowl tournament — in the San Diegan’s first visit to the postseason in five years — the largest may owe to the team’s second-place finish in the AFC West.
The NFL tilts the event toward the eight division winners, half of which get to skip the first round, all of which open the playoffs at home.
As a wild-card entrant, the Chargers must play in the first round and begin on the road. Even if they win, the road is where they’ll probably remain for the rest of the AFC playoffs.