San Diego News Online

San Diego, California - The three-time defending AFC West Champion San Diego Chargers will play their first of five nationally-televised games this season when they head to Atlanta to take on the Falcons at the Georgia Dome. CBS Sports will televise the game with kickoff set for 8:00 p.m. EDT (5:00 p.m. PT).

This week’s game will mark the Chargers’ longest preseason road trip since a 2000 game against the Falcons in the Georgia Dome. The Chargers and Falcons have played just five times in the preseason with the Chargers winning four of the five. They last met in 2000 with the Bolts winning 28-14 at the Georgia Dome. Atlanta’s lone win in the preseason was played at a neutral site, 21-17, in the 1994 Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. In the regular season, the Falcons hold a 7-1 series edge over the Chargers.

For the Chargers, special teams coach Steve Crosby was an assistant coach with the Falcons coaching QBs and RBs from 1983-84 and ’86-89. Running backs coach Ollie Wilson also coached RBs in Atlanta from 1991-96 and ’02-07. CB Antoine Cason’s dad, Wendell, played for the Falcons from 1985-87. G Kynan Forney was a seventh-round draft pick by Atlanta in 2001 and he played for the Falcons from ’01-07. T Marcus McNeill is from Ellenwood, Georgia (Cedar Grove HS). S Paul Oliver is a native of Kennesaw, Ga. and played at the University of Georgia. FB Mike Tolbert was born in Carrollton, Ga. And prepped at Douglas County HS in Douglasville, Ga. QB Charlie Whitehurst graduated from Chattahoochee HS in Alpharetta, Ga. WR Rodgeriqus Smith is from Snellville, Ga. (South Gwinnett HS). RB Michael Turner was a fifth-round draft choice by the Chargers in 2004 and spent the ’04-07 seasons in San Diego. TE Justin Peelle was a fourth-round pick of the Chargers in 2002 and he played for the Bolts from ’02-05. Other Falcons with hometown ties to Southern California include CB Christopher Owens (Los Angeles), T Sam Baker (Tustin), T Adam Speer (West Hills), and WR Brian Finneran (Torrance).

CBS SPORTS - KFMB-TV (Ch. 8 San Diego) and KCBS-TV (Ch. 2 Los Angeles) Greg Gumbel (play-by-play) and Dan Fouts (analyst) Rock 105.3 FM, XTRA Sports 1360 (San Diego) and AM 570 KLAC (Los Angeles) Josh Lewin (play-by-play) and Hank Bauer (analyst) The Chargers Radio Network includes KGEO 1230 AM in Bakersfield; KNWH 1250 AM in the Yucca Valley; KNWQ 1140 AM in Palm Springs; KNWZ 970 AM in the Coachella Valley; KOSS 1380 AM in Palmdale and Lancaster, KSPA 1510 AM in Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga and the Inland Empire; KATY 101.3 FM in Temecula and the Inland Empire; KWDJ 1360 AM in Ridgecrest; ESPN Radio 1100 AM in Las Vegas; KXO 107.5 FM in the Imperial Valley and Yuma, Arizona; and SiriusSatellite Radio. XHFG 107.3 (San Diego) and KWKW 1330 AM (Los Angeles) – Spanish Jorge Villanueva (play-by-play) and Adrian Garcia (analyst)