SAN DIEGO -- The radio talk shows are alive with chatter about the Chargers' expiring playoff hopes. The letters to the sports section and yapping in chat rooms echo that theme.

It's the expected reaction to the Chargers' third loss in four games, which came Sunday in Pittsburgh. But when future Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson bellows the same bark, people pay attention.

On Monday, Tomlinson wasn't zigging, zagging or wiggling like he does when carrying the football. Instead, his assessment was straight when asked if the fading Chargers' postseason hopes are nearly kaput.

"I think so, I really do," Tomlinson said. "We are two games back. We are not out of it, but it's like blown opportunities we keep on talking about when we could have easily been tied with Denver right now."

Instead, the two-time defending AFC West champion Chargers are 4-6, staring up at the Broncos at 6-4. With a six pack of games remaining, the sobering fact is that the Chargers might not toast their fourth playoff trip in five years.

"Whenever you keep blowing opportunities, then at some point as they say, opportunities don't come about anymore," said Tomlinson, who's mired in the worst season of his eight-year career. "It's like when the opportunity comes, you open the door and take it, and if you don't, it passes you by and goes to someone else."

The Chargers are hoping a three-game homestand will get them cooking. But with those opponents being the Colts on Sunday night, followed by the Falcons and Raiders, sweeping the trio is hardly a given.

However, that's the corner the Chargers find themselves in after the latest defeat, an 11-10 heartbreaker at Heinz Field.

Are the stumbling Chargers too far behind to catch up?

"I wouldn't go that far to say we are done because anything can happen with six games," Tomlinson said. "It does look slim, but we're not done yet."

Sadly, Tomlinson's career also has more yesterdays than tomorrows. With each passing year, his chances of reaching a Super Bowl diminish. Tomlinson once told the story of Chargers general manager A.J. Smith assuring Tomlinson that his spectacular career wouldn't be in vain.

Smith declined to return a call to verify the tale.

But Tomlinson knows the sand in his NFL hourglass is dissipating fast. That makes this dreary season, which held so much promise, so difficult to comprehend.

"Each year is another season gone, and I'll be the first to tell you that I am running out of time -- I don't know how many more years I'm going to play," said Tomlinson, who is on pace to barely crack 1,000 rushing yards. "But at this point, you just hope for the best, and that is all I can really say about it.

"You just hope that things, if they don't turn out the way they should this year or we don't make it into the playoffs, you question what's next and that's just where I am right now."

After the Chargers lost their fourth of five road games, Tomlinson said, the flight home was eerily silent.

"It was very long and very quiet," said Tomlinson, who averaged only 3.2 rushing yards on 18 carries. "Nobody said much; I don't even know how to take that.

"I know, for me, (there was) just a whole lot of thought of these past 10 games and where do we go from here and our chances. All of (those) things run through my mind, and that was probably what was running though everyone else's mind, which is probably why we were so quiet on that flight." Â

Chargers notes

DEs Luis Castillo (groin) and Jacques Cesaire (knee) each had an MRI exam and will be evaluated later in the week. Cesaire said he'll play Sunday against Indianapolis. ILB Stephen Cooper (elbow) also is expected to play. … S Steve Gregory (neck) will return this week after missing a game; CB Cletis Gordon (knee) is out for one more week. … The Chargers re-signed OT Corey Clark to the practice squad. Clark was waived from the active roster on Saturday.

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Contact staff writer Jay Paris at jparis8@aol.com.

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