Previewing Sunday's San Diego Chargers at Carolina Panthers 1 p.m. contest
Game: San Diego Chargers (5-7) at Carolina Panthers (4-8), 1 p.m.
TV: Fox (Sam Rosen play-by-play, Brady Quinn color analyst, Jennifer Hale sideline reporter).
RADIO: WBT-AM 1110 in Charlotte is flagship station (Mick Mixon play-by-play, Eugene Robinson and Jim Szoke color analysts, Sharon Thorsland sideline reporter)
LAST WEEK: San Diego - lost 28-21 to Tampa Bay, Carolina – lost 40-7 at Seattle
NEXT WEEK: San Diego - hosts Oakland, 4:25 p.m. on Dec. 18, Carolina - at Washington, 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 19
THE SERIES: Carolina leads 4-1 in a series that has come-from-behind rallies in four of the five games. Only in the Panthers' 31-7 win at San Diego in 2012 did the winning team not have to come from behind to win. The most dramatic ending came in 2008 in San Diego when Carolina's Jake Delhomme hit Dante Rosario for a 14-yard touchdown pass on the game's final play.
RANKINGS AMONG NFL (through Week 13 of 2016 season): Carolina offense – 18th overall, 13th rushing, 20th passing. Carolina defense – 23rd-tie overall, 8th rushing, 30th passing. San Diego offense – 10th overall, 21st rushing, 6th passing. San Diego defense – 19th overall, 3rd rushing, 27th passing.
BY THE NUMBERS: 0 – Number of times a NFL team that lost none or one games the previous season had a losing record the next season. Carolina, which has already clinched the worst record in such a circumstance, can become the first team (out of seven) to finish with a losing record if it doesn't close the season with four straight victories. The worst previous record for a team going 16-0, 14-0 or 15-1 was the 1985 San Francisco 49ers (10-6) and 1999 Minnesota Vikings (10-6).
MATCHUP TO WATCH: Panthers defense vs. San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers - Last week, for the third time this season, Carolina yielded 500 or more yards total offense. Rivers, who holds every significant passing record in N.C. State history, and has led the Chargers to 265 or more yards and 19 or more points in every game this season. San Diego has surpassed 400 yards in three games.
NOTABLE: Carolina has never been swept by the AFC West, but San Diego can close out a AFC West sweep of the Panthers with a victory. Since the pre-determined matchups for NFC teams with AFC divisions began in 2002, the Panthers have been swept once apiece by each of the other three AFC divisions - in 2007 by the South, in 2009 by the East and in 2010 by the North....
Since 2011, only once has either the Panthers offense or defense been penalized 50 or more times in a single season. That came in 2011 when the offense was penalized 52 times. Entering Sunday's game, this year's offense has been penalized 46 times. Offensive tackle Mike Remmers has been flagged eight times, which is three behind his own team record (11 in 2015) for most by an individual since 2011....
When Carolina rushes 30 or more times or rushes for 100 or more yards or does both in a game, the Panthers' record is sparkling. As one would imagine in a 4-8 season, they've done neither very often this season. In fact, they are threatening to end a streak of recording 100 or more yards in at least 10 games every year since 2008. Entering Sunday's game, Carolina has surpassed 100 yards seven times in 12 games this season....
Expect the fourth quarter to be high scoring on Sunday as the two worst fourth-quarter defenses are clashing; Carolina is the worst in the NFL, having allowed 138 points in the final quarter, with San Diego second-worst with 122 points allowed....
Five Panthers have connections to the Chargers - head coach Ron Rivera was Chargers linebackers coach (2007) and defensive coordinator (2008-10) before being hired by Carolina, fullback Mike Tolbert played for the Chargers (2008-11), running back Fozzy Whittaker played for the Chargers (2013), assistant head coach/secondary coach Steve Wilks was Chargers secondary coach (2009-11) and offensive tackle Mike Remmers played for the Chargers (2013)....
Eleven Chargers administrators, coaches and players have connections to the Panthers or the Carolinas - general manager Tom Telasco worked for the Panthers (1995-97), head coach Mike McCoy was an assistant coach for the Panthers (2001-08), linebackers coach Bob Babich was an assistant coach at East Carolina (1992-93), offensive line coach Jeff Davidson was offensive coordinator for the Panthers (2007-10), assistant offensive line coach Deave DeGuglielmo was an assisant coach at South Carolina (1999-2003), assistant defensive backs coach Chris Harris played for the Panthers (2007-09), defensive backs coach Ron Milus was a Panthers assistant coach (2009-10), linebacker Melvin Ingram is from Hamlet and played at South Carolina, quarterback Philip Rivers played at N.C. State, offensive lineman Chris Hairston is from Winston-Salem and played at Clemson and wide receiver Dontrelle Inman is from Batesburg, S.C.
PREDICTION: Carolina 28, San Diego 24 - After a lost two-week West Coast trip, Carolina will welcome a return home against a Chargers team that has struggled just as much as the Panthers in late-game situations.
(Gazette seasonal record: 7-5)