Since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, only 12 teams that began the season 1-4 went on to make the playoffs. The encouraging news for this season’s six 1-4 teams is that the Texans and Chiefs did it just last year.
The bad news is the Chiefs and the Texans are the recent exception, not the burgeoning rule, and actually raised the percentage of 1-4 teams to qualify for the playoffs to just 6 percent.
The Chargers are 1-4 and face a tough division opponent Thursday night when the defending Super Bowl champion Broncos (4-1) come to Qualcomm Stadium (8:25 p.