Game info: 4:15 pm EDT Sun Sep 7, 2008 TV: FOX
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The two-time AFC West champion San Diego Chargers will begin defense of their crown when they open the 2008 NFL regular season against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Sept. 7 at Qualcomm Stadium. Kickoff is 1:15 p.m. PDT. It marks the second year in a row that the Chargers will open the season at home.
The Chargers and Panthers are meeting for just the fourth time. Carolina won the first two games in 1997 and 2000, but the Chargers won the last meeting, 17-6, in 2004 in Charlotte.
The Chargers are 7-3 in their last 10 Opening Day games and have won two straight. This is only the fifth time since 1998 that the Chargers have started the season at home, but the Bolts are 3-1 in their last four season openers in San Diego. All-time the Chargers are 28-20 (.583) on Opening Day and 14-6 (.700) when opening the season at home. San Diego’s cumulative Opening Day winning percentage is the NFL’s fourth highest. Carolina is 5-8 all-time on Opening Day, including a 27-13 win last year in St. Louis
Sunday’s game will be played at Qualcomm Stadium, where the Chargers are 16-2, including playoffs, over the last two seasons. Last season, the Chargers went 7-1 at home in the regular season and 1-0 at the Q in the playoffs.
In the last four years, the Chargers have won five straight and gone 7-1 at home against teams from the NFC. This includes 2007 wins over the Chicago Bears (14-3) and Detroit Lions (51-14). In those eight games against the NFC, the Bolts have outscored their non-conference foes by a combined 273-153.
