Sports Radio Interviews

Antonio Gates: “I have been around for a while and have seen some things happen that you don’t necessarily agree with.”

Antonio Gates has been a weapon in the NFL for a few years now.  The tight end position has become so much more in teams offensive game plans because of guys like Gates, Dallas Clark and the future Hall of Famer, Tony Gonzalez.  The Chargers have used Gates more like a wide receiver then a traditional tight end in his days with them.  San Diego beat the Raiders this past Sunday 24-16.  One of the Achilles heels for the Chargers this season has been scoring in the Red Zone, but that was not the case Sunday as San Diego scored touchdowns on three of its four red zone trips.

The Chargers upped their record to 4-3 and with Denver losing as well; they find themselves just two games behind in the AFC West.  Not bad for a team that started the season 2-3. The Chargers now go up against the Giants in the Meadowlands, come back for the Eagles and then a divisional matchup with Denver, a tough stretch for the Bolts but a chance to prove to the rest of the NFL they are once again a legit playoff team.

Antonio Gates joined XX Sports Radio in SD and talked about the release of Chris Chambers, the win versus the Raiders and Philip Rivers.

Asked about the 13 game winning streak against the Raiders:

“I think the most important part about the whole win streak thing is that we never take Oakland for granted.  We never ever assumed anything; we always knew it was going to be a battle, a rival of the AFC West.  We always came in with the same mindset as if it was a big game, a big day, and it always happens for us to come out victorious.”

Asked about the upcoming part of the schedule against the Giants, Eagles and then Denver:

“We play that whole division, the NFC East; we understand it’s a very tough division.  From this point on, these next 4-5 games is going to determine a whole bunch.  It’s going to put us in a position where we can still win the AFC West and I think that’s why it’s important from this point on, I mean the next few games are just as important as the ones before.  You know how we played the Raiders at 3-3 and we were like come on we got to win this game.  Now we are 4-3 and in the sense, this game is just as important as the last one because losing this game puts you back at 4-4 and square one.  That’s the nature of the league, take one game at a time.”

Asked about hearing of the Chris Chambers release from the Chargers:

“It’s unfortunate that whatever the situation was that a guy with the standing and that quality had to be released man.  Frustration sets in, but at the same time, it’s the nature of this business.  I wish all the best to Chris and his family and the rest of his career. I have been around for a while and have seen some things happen that you don’t necessarily agree with or disagree with.  But you understand it and once you understand it, you just try and move forward.”

Listen to Antonio Gates on XX Sports Radio in SD with Darren Smith

Tags: AFC West, Antonio Gates, Chris Chambers, Dallas Clark, Denver, New York Giants, NFL, Oakland Raiders, Philadephia Eagles, San Diego Chargers, Tony Gonzalez