Recently it’s become a habit for the Chargers to win the division, make the playoffs, and then exit before reaching their target. Last year this tradition was broken as San Diego missed the playoffs altogether.
.
Now they’re poised to erase 2010’s mistakes, return to the playoffs, and make a serious run at a title. There is a lot to like about this team, but the same can be said about a number of other teams in the AFC that the Chargers will have to fight through to get to the top. Can they rebound from their disappointing 2010 to make this push, or are their best years behind them?
.
.
.
Five Reasons to be Confident
.
1.) Elite Quarterback
The only quarterback in the league to have started every game last year and get a PFF pass rating above zero in each one of them was Philip Rivers. Throughout last season, he was without the weapons he is used to having in the offense, and his play didn’t drop off one bit. It is a quarterback-driven league, and with a player like Rivers behind center, there is always going to be an opportunity to win. Despite his ability, he isn’t always mentioned among the elite quarterbacks because he doesn’t have the ring that Rodgers, Brees, Roethlisberger, the Mannings, and Brady have, but make no mistake, he belongs in that group.
.
2.) Healthy Receivers
What was missing from the offense in 2010 is now back: Vincent Jackson received our highest overall rating in 2009. He missed most of the 2010 season with a hold out, but even in his few games, he showed some spark of the player he was. At tight end, Antonio Gates missed six games last year, but played well enough in the other 10 to be rated as the best receiving tight end in the league for a second straight year. Throw in Malcom Floyd who showed his true potential last year, but also missed five games, and you have three receivers who are very difficult to cover. If they can stay healthy, setting these three loose with Rivers getting them the ball could bring down some records.
.
3.) Makeover at Linebacker
While the defense wasn’t bad last year, the Chargers went into a bit of effort to make some improvements. At the linebacker position, they added a pair of key players that had been playing further north in the state in Takeo Spikes at inside linebacker and Travis Laboy on the outside. This improves multiple phases of the game, with Spikes being a step up in run defense on the early downs – having had 54 stops last year and simply being one of the game’s finest tacklers – as well as coverage on the late downs, and Laboy being our seventh-rated 3-4 OLB as a pass rusher in his limited chances. This could be the push the Chargers need to get their defense to the next level.
.
4.) The Play of Garay
From seemingly out of nowhere, Antonio Garay became the starting nose tackle in San Diego, and one of the best players at what he does. He was able to bring pressure on 12% of his pass rushes, a very high figure for a tackle, and was even stronger in the run game. You rarely see stars emerge in their 30’s, but since Garay hasn’t received much playing time before 2010 he should be fresh for a few more years. Our Khaled Elsayed went into much more detail on this emerging star.
.
5.) The Kickoff Rule
With so many people complaining about the kickoff rule and the teams that it hurts, you almost forget that it actually helps some teams. Special teams were one of the Chargers’ big weaknesses last year, but now some of that has been eliminated. While Nate Kaeding is strong at field goals, he had the worst kickoff rating at -12.0 last year. The new rule will make that weakness less noticeable. Finding a new kick returner to replace Darren Sproles is also less important, as a lower percentage of kicks will be returned.
.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
.
Five Reasons to be Concerned
.
1.) Defensive Ends
No different from recent seasons, Luis Castillo and Jacques Cesaire took the majority of snaps at defensive end. They improved from their play in 2009, but they each managed to have negative ratings in both run defense and pass rush. They have a combined 16 years of experience, and you would expect the veteran starters to be producing at a better clip since they haven’t been fending off threats of being replaced by younger developing players. San Diego drafted Corey Liuget in the first round to to eventually take one of their spots, but we will still see both get a large number of snaps. Another season of sub par play will hold this defense back.
.
2.) Losing Sproles
There are few backs that top the 500 receiving yard mark in any given season, but in 2010 Sproles accomplished the feat. With him gone, a trio of inexperienced players is left responsible for the run game and for catching the ball out of the back field. Coming into his fourth year, Mike Tolbert had a -2.4 run rating last year with his kryptonite being the Raiders, against whom he gained just 27 yards on 19 carries in two games. While he was reliable as a receiver, his 7.8 yards per reception is a little low for backs with catching as a strength.
In a few games last year, Ryan Mathews impressed as a runner, but in others he looked like he wasn’t ready for the NFL. He likely won’t see much playing time in passing situations because he hasn’t picked up the art of pass blocking yet. Their other back Jacob Hester looked the best out of the group in this department with a +3.4 receiving rating, but lacks the ability to elude defenders like Sproles could.
.
3.) Better Competition
These aren’t the same Raiders and Chiefs teams that the Chargers are used to dominating in the division. If you’ve kept up with PFF Previews, you know the Chiefs have developed a lot of talent in recent years, and the Raiders are looking the best they have since they lost the Super Bowl nearly a decade ago. San Diego is also stuck with games against the Jets, Ravens, Steelers, Packers and Bears which doesn’t make the road to the playoffs any easier. While they could still win the division, dropping a few to these teams would hurt their seeding in the playoffs, and make that path to the Super Bowl even trickier.
.
4.) Decline of Clary
In 2009, prior to landing on injured reserve, Jeromey Clary looked like he was becoming a decent lineman in this league. This past season was a step in the wrong direction. He allowed five or more pressures in three different games and he tied for fourth-worst among the league’s right tackles by allowing eight sacks. A negative run-blocking rating in over half of his games doesn’t help either. While the fact that I’m being nitpicky about a single player bodes well for the team’s chances, poor play by Clary could cost the Chargers a game when it counts.
.
5.) Three Receiver Sets
While Jackson and Floyd should be good to go come Week 1, there are a number of injuries that have occurred on the depth chart, making it difficult to tell who will be lining up when the Chargers decide they need extra wide receivers. With teams doing whatever they can to cover the top two guys and Gates, whoever is playing in that third spot could play a pivotal role. If Patrick Crayton stays healthy, he is the safest bet. He had a very high 2.5 yards per pass route run last year, although it was a small sample.
.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
.
The 2010 San Diego Chargers might be one of the better teams in recent history to not have made the playoffs. With as much talent as they have on the roster, it would be shame for them not to get back in.
.
.
Follow Nathan on Twitter: @PFF_NateJahnke and check out our main Twitter feed too: @ProFootbalFocus
.
.
.
.
.
© 2025 PFF - all rights reserved.