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BALTIMORE - Asked to assess the importance of Sundays game against the Baltimore Ravens, Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers supplied an answer that should stand for the rest of the season.Its kind of what youd expect this time of year, with the two teams fighting for a (playoff) spot, Rivers noted. So, itll be exciting and a heck of a challenge for us.This will be the first of five straight games for San Diego (7-4) against teams with winning records and post-season aspirations. The Chargers have defeated just one team with a winning record, Seattle in Week 2.San Diego certainly cant afford to look past this game, but coach Mike McCoy and his players are well aware that New England, Denver, San Francisco and Kansas City loom in December.Weve got five teams coming up that are, shoot, as good as they get, free safety Eric Weddle said. Were either going to win a bunch and get in or we dont. I think the team is focused, were ready. We showed it last week (in a 27-24 win over St. Louis).Weve got to get this next one. Its the only one that matters.Because San Diego and Baltimore own identical records, the winner will have the tiebreaker if the teams finish tied for a wild-card spot.Every game right now is like a playoff game for us, Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith said. Its really going to be about who wants it more. We have to be at our best right now, and we understand that.Some things to know about the Chargers-Ravens matchup:INDESTRUCTABLE QBs: Rivers has started every game since the beginning of the 2006 season, and Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco hasnt missed a start since taking the job as a rookie in the 2008 season opener.Flacco expressed his respect for Rivers by saying: Its pretty cool. Thats what football is all about. Its not the fact that hes not missed a game, its the fact that he has been hurt in certain instances and has played through it.Since taking over as coach in Baltimore in 2008, Harbaugh has never had anyone but Flacco as his starter.Durability is every bit as important as ability, Harbaugh said. You can be the most talented guy in the world, but if youre not there to do the job it really doesnt matter.GATES ENDURES: Chargers tight end Antonio Gates has been catching touchdown passes since 2003 with no sign of letting up. With four more TD receptions, he will become the ninth player in NFL history with 100.You look at the tape, and youre hoping that hes going to age out at some point, Harbaugh said, grinning. We all do at some point, but he hasnt yet. He continues to adjust his game. He really does a great job of bodying up and making plays as a receiver. Hes still a downfield threat. Hes a go-to guy for Philip Rivers.NEAR 1,000: Ravens running back Justin Forsett needs 97 yards rushing to reach 1,000 for the first time in his seven-year career. He is coming off two straight 100-yard games and scored two TDs in each of those contests.Our offensive line, it starts with those guys, Flacco said. Theyre doing a lot of things really well right now.Stopping Forsett is a priority for the Chargers, whose rushing defence ranks 15th in the NFL.MR. SMITH GOES TO BALTIMORE: Steve Smith ended up in Baltimore after being released by Carolina, but the Chargers also coveted the veteran wide receiver.McCoy, a former assistant at Carolina, dialed up Smith after the Panthers cut him.It was more just a conversation to see where he was at and what his plans were, McCoy said. Obviously, he made a great decision for him and his family, and hes having a great year.Smith leads the Ravens with 53 catches for 817 yards and has scored five touchdowns.HE LIKES ME: Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs, who surpassed 100 career sacks last week in a win over New Orleans, usually doesnt speak well of opposing quarterbacks. He made an exception this week when asked about Rivers.I dont like many quarterbacks in this league, Suggs said. Andy Dalton is one, hes another, and theres a few more. But thats about it.Rivers has no desire to talk about it Sunday.I hope not to have too much interaction with him. That means hes either laying on top of me or getting back there a lot, Rivers said.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL Jerry Tillery Jersey . Altidore strained his left hamstring in the Americans opener against Ghana on June 16 and didnt play in their next two games. 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Louis Cardinals won the World Series last season, but after losing first baseman Albert Pujols to free agency and manager Tony LaRussa to retirement, they opened the 2012 season in 12th spot in the TSN.Montreal Canadiens defenceman Josh Gorges expressed his shock and disappointment on Monday with the news that the team is trying to trade him. TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie reports that Gorges, who has played eight seasons with the Canadiens, is on the trade block after the club asked him to waive his no-trade clause to facilitate a deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs. "I want people to know that I never wanted to leave Montreal," he said in interviews with Dave Stubbs of The Montreal Gazette and J-F Chaumont of Le Journal de Montreal on Monday. "I have never asked for a trade - this is (general manager) Marc Bergevins call. I am in shock." Gorges, acquired in a trade with the Saan Jose Sharks in 2007 (along with a first-round pick that became forward Max Pacioretty) for defenceman Craig Rivet, has four years left on a six-year contract worth $3.dddddddddddd9 million per season. McKenzie reported on Monday afternoon that Gorges would not allow a deal with the Leafs - one of 15 teams on his no-trade list. McKenzie added over the weekend that none of the six other Canadian teams are on his list of permissible trade destinations, but Gorges told Stubbs on Monday that hes expanded the list to include a couple of Canadian teams. "This is really hard to ac