San Diego Chargers Season Preview

(via Ticket King Mandi)

The San Diego Chargers have been among the NFL preseason Super Bowl favorites for over half a decade.  From 2004 until 2009 the Chargers qualified for the postseason as division winners five times. After two consecutive seasons of toiling in mediocrity, the underachieving Chargers are no longer considered to be an elite football team.  Countless Chargers players have stated that they are tired of flying under the radar, and that they are itching to get back into the playoffs.  Head coach Norv Turner, who has a 49-31 record in five seasons with the team, and General manager A.J. Smith, who has been with the team since 2003, will likely be dismissed if the Chargers do not play up to their potential this season.

Philip Rivers (zimbio.com)

Whether the Chargers return to the postseason hinges on the performance of starting quarterback Philip Rivers, one of the elite signal callers in the league.  Rivers, a four time Pro Bowler, is perennially ranked at the top of the NFL passing statistical leaderboard.  Rivers led the league in passing touchdowns and quarterback rating in 2008, passing yardage in 2010, yards per pass from 2008 through 2010 and was ranked among the top five in the NFL in the aforementioned statistics countless times.  Rivers is the ideal quarterback for Norv Turner's offense, which places an emphasis on the intermediate and downfield passing game.  Rivers is arguably the league's toughest pocket passer, a quality that is crucial in order to run Turner's offense, which requires the quarterback to take five and seven step drops and therefore face plenty of defensive pressure.  Rivers' toughness allows him to step into his throws knowing that he will get knocked down, and deliver accurate throws on time.  In 2007 Rivers led the Chargers to the AFC title game, and showed off his gutsiness by playing in the final game despite an ACL tear.  He is regarded as one of the most accurate passers in the league and his ability to throw the deep-ball is renowned.  Rivers had a down year last season and turned the ball over 27 times, the bulk of which occurred during a six game losing streak for the Chargers.  He rebounded to throw 11 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions in the final five games of the season, in which the Chargers went 4-1.  If Rivers returns to form, he certainly has the ability to lead the Chargers back into the postseason.

Philip Rivers' passing weapons have undergone a significant overhaul this offseason.  Gone is two-time Pro Bowler Vincent Jackson, who signed a lucrative contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the offseason.  In his stead the Chargers had brought in Eddie Royal from the Denver Broncos and Robert Meachem from the New Orleans Saints.  The speedy Royal will serve as a slot receiver for the Chargers and has already built a solid rapport with Rivers.  In addition to his role in the passing game, Royal will serve as the punt returner for the Chargers, and provide them with a threat in the return game that they have been missing since Darren Sproles left the team last offseason.  Meachem, who will likely start at receiver, has averaged 16.1 yards per catch for his career and will help spread the field and provide the Chargers with yet another big play threat in the vertical passing game.  The Chargers' other starting receiver will be the 6 foot 5 inch Malcolm Floyd, who led the league in yards per catch with an average of 19.9.  Floyd's size advantage over defenders in the opponents' secondary will provide Rivers with a deep threat opposite Meachem.  Vincent Brown, a second year receiver out of San Diego State, proved during a week 10 loss to Oakland in which he had 5 receptions for 97 yards and a touchdown, that he has the potential to be a key contributor to the Chargers' passing game.  The big question mark surrounding the Chargers' wide receivers is health.  Royal missed 4 games with a concussion last season and Floyd has started only 9 games in each of the past two seasons due to a variety of ailments.

Antonio Gates (sports crunch)

Tight end Antonio Gates is an 8-time Pro Bowler, a 5-time All-Pro and was thought of as the top tight end in the NFL for the majority of the last decade.  Gates missed 9 combined games the past two seasons due to several different foot injuries.  This offseason Gates has lost 5 pounds and appears to be completely healthy for the first time in over two years.  If Gates is able to have a rejuvenation this season by staying healthy, the Chargers' passing game will be truly special.

Ryan Mathews
(fantasy-fools.blogspot.com)

The Chargers' running game this season will revolve around Pro Bowl running back Ryan Mathews, who was 10th in the league with 1,091 rushing yards and an excellent 4.9 yards per rushing attempt.  Mathews ranked 5th among running backs in receiving yardage and provides Rivers with a tremendous safety valve in the flat.  Last season Mathews finally justified his selection as the 12th overall pick in the 2010 draft as the heir to future hall of famer LaDainian Tomlinson.   With the departure of running back Mike Tolbert, who signed with the Carolina Panthers in the offseason, Mathews will be given a chance to get the carries in short yardage and goal line situations.  Mathews had a great training camp and appears prepared to become the featured back in the Chargers' offense and average 25 touches a game. The only two concerns regarding Mathews are fumbles and injuries.  Mathews was tied for the league lead among running backs with 5 lost fumbles last season.  The Chargers' offense as a whole was uncharacteristically careless with the football last season and should be much improved this year.  In his short two year career, Mathews has already missed 6 games due to injury, and may miss a game or two this year after breaking his clavicle in his first carry of the preseason.  As injury insurance, the Chargers have signed veteran running back Ronnie Brown and fullback Le'Ron McClain, each of whom has had a 900 yard rushing season in his career.  If Mathews is able to stay healthy he should be able to seize the role of every-down back for San Diego.

The Chargers' offensive line's poor play was the primary reason the team struggled during the first part of the 2011 season, and its stark improvement over the final 5 games of the season explains the team's success at the end of the season.  Over the final 5 games of the season, Philip Rivers was sacked only 2 times, while over the course of the first 11 games of the season, the line allowed him to be sacked 28 times.  In San Diego's vertical passing game, if the offensive line is able to provide the quarterback with enough time to allow routes to develop downfield, turnovers will be minimized and big plays will happen with more frequency.  The left side of the Chargers' line underwent significant change last season after former Pro Bowlers Marcus McNeill and Kris Dielman were forced to retire due to injuries and concussions.  The arrival of left tackle Jared Gaither, who the Chargers signed off of waivers with five games remaining in the season, caused significant improvement in the play of the offensive line, and solved a season long search for someone to protect Philip Rivers' blind side.  Left guard Tyronne Green started in the final five games of the season and will likely earn the starting job to start the season.  Center Nick Hardwick is an experienced former Pro Bowler and is able to call for any necessary shifts or adjustments in the offensive line.  Right guard Louis Vasquez and right tackle Jeromey Clary each have several seasons of experience under their belts.  The Chargers projected starting unit played together during the team's excellent 4-1 stretch to end the season and will raise the level of play of the entire offense if it is able to stay on the field.

San Diego's 3-4 defense had a disappointing season in 2011 after being one of the top units in the NFL the prior season.  In 2010 the Chargers allowed the fewest total yards in the league, however, in 2011 the team fell to 16th in the NFL.  San Diego forced the fewest fumbles in the league in 2011 and had only 32 sacks, 15 fewer than the team had in 2010.  The area in which the Chargers' defense truly struggled was on third down, where it allowed its opponents to convert a first down a league high 49% of the time.  In 2010 the Chargers were tied for second best in the league in third down defense at only 34%.  Due to the unit's struggles in 2011, defensive coordinator Greg Manusky was let go.  Taking his place is John Pagano who has been the team's linebacker coach since 2005.

Defensive end Corey Liuget, the Chargers' first round draft pick in 2011, had a quiet rookie season but is expected to break out this year and make a huge impact on the Chargers' pass rush.  Nose tackles Antonio Garay, who has 8 combined sacks over the past two seasons, and Cam Thomas, who was second on the team with 4 sacks last season, are capable of wreaking havoc on the interior and are effective in stopping both the run and pass.  The Chargers drafted Kendall Reyes from UConn in the 2nd round, and any production they receive from the talented defensive end will be welcomed.

Melvin Ingram (bdsbperiod)

The Chargers' linebacker corps is the strength of the defense and should be even better this season after making key offseason additions.  The team's top pass rusher in 2011 was Antwan Barnes who used his speed off the edge to lead the team with 11 sacks.  Outside linebacker Shaun Phillips has long been a top-end pass rusher in the league.  Phillips had a disappointing 2011 in which he missed 4 games due to injury and had only 3.5 sacks.  He should be able to return to form and may even come close to matching the 11 sacks he put up in his Pro Bowl season in 2010.  In free agency the Chargers signed impactful outside linebacker Jarrett Johnson, who was a mainstay on the Baltimore Ravens excellent defense.   The Chargers drafted linebacker Melvin Ingram with the 18th overall pick in the NFL draft.  Ingram was a consensus first-team All-American, and registered 10 sacks in his senior year at the University of South Carolina.  He is considered to be one of the favorites to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year award.  Rounding out the linebacker rotation are starting inside linebackers Takeo Spikes, who has 14 years of NFL experience, and Donald Butler, who is entering his third year in the league.  The additions of Ingram and Johnson, along with an improvement in health for Phillips should significantly improve the Chargers' ability to pressure opposing quarterbacks and force turnovers.

Eric Weddle (catscratchreader)

The Chargers' secondary slipped a bit last season after allowing the fewest passing yards in the league in 2010.  Free safety Eric Weddle was the best defensive player on the team last season and proved that he is among the elite safeties in the NFL.  The ball-hawking Weddle had a league leading 7 interceptions to go with 88 tackles and was named a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro for the second consecutive season.  The play of starting cornerbacks Antoine Cason and Quentin Jammer slipped a bit last season, however, an improved pass rush by the front 7 should help them bounce back this season.  Veteran strong safety Atari Bigby, whom the Chargers signed from Green Bay, and 3rd round draft pick Brandon Taylor from LSU will compete for the starting strong safety position.

Nate Kaeding (icon sports media inc.)

The Chargers' special teams unit was much improved after a disastrous 2010 campaign in which it derailed a season in which the Chargers were ranked 1st in both offense and defense yet still failed to qualify for the playoffs.  Punter Mike Scifers is one of the best at his position in the NFL, and consistently gives the team great field position.  Placekicker Nate Kaeding is the most accurate field goal kicker of all-time.  Kaeding tore his ACL on the first play of the 2011 season and missed the entire season.  As long as he shows no ill effects of his injury, Kaeding should win the starting job over Nick Novak who replaced him last season.

Season Outlook:  The Chargers certainly have the talent to rejoin the ranks of the elite teams in the NFL.  As long as the offensive line is able to give Philip Rivers enough time to allow routes to develop downfield, the Chargers' offense will be explosive and among the highest scoring offenses in the league.  Assuming that Ryan Mathews remains healthy, he will be one of the top running backs in the league, and play the soon to be extinct role of the do-it-all back.  The San Diego defense will have a much improved pass rush after retooling over the offseason, which should in turn improve the pass coverage and create turnovers.  The Chargers will win their division with a record of 11-5 and return to the postseason.