Swanson: Pain and appreciation for Chargers after wild-card loss

EL SEGUNDO — Nineteen of the 20 TVs lining both ends of the Chargers’ locker room were tuned to ESPN on Monday afternoon, the network’s hours and hours of NFL playoff programming going on without the men in the building.

They paid no attention to what was being broadcast above them, and didn’t plan to. For the Chargers, this season is over.

It ended abruptly Sunday night in a stunningly noncompetitive 16-3 loss to the New England Patriots. In a weekend of wild-card thrillers, the Chargers delivered a dud.