2013 Record: 9-7 (Lost at Denver in the divisional playoffs)

Key off-season additions: Brandon Flowers, CB; Donald Brown, RB; Kellen Clemens, QB; Dennis Johnson, TE/FB; Kavell Conner, ILB; Ricardo Mathews, DL.

Key off-season departures: Derek Cox, CB; Cam Thomas, NT; Danario Alexander, WR; Ronnie Brown, RB; Larry English, OLB; Le'Ron McClain, FB; Johnny Patrick, CB; Charlie Whitehurst, QB.

Draft class: Jason Verrett, CB; Jeremiah Attaochu, OLB; Chris Watt, OG; Ryan Carrethers, NT; Marion Grice, RB; Tevin Reese, WR.

The San Diego Chargers were something of a surprise package in 2013, as first year head coach Mike McCoy inspired a much maligned roster all the way to the divisional playoffs. Sitting with a 5-7 record with four weeks remaining, the Chargers playoff aspirations appeared to be dead and buried, but they hit form at the right time and capitalised on a run of improbable events to earn a Wild Card berth in the AFC. That late run helped paper over the cracks in the Chargers roster;  the offensive line that had haunted the Chargers for years improved, but was not yet a strength; there were also issues at all three levels of the defense, where an ineffective pass rush left a troubled secondary badly exposed. However the Chargers overcame that through the renaissance of Philip Rivers, as well as an intelligent offensive scheme that relied heavily on fast developing plays to assist the offensive line, while also soaking up the clock to protect the defense. Salary cap restrictions forced the Chargers to be modest players in costless agency but they have made a couple of shrewd signings, and virtually all the players who mattered in 2013 are back; there is good reason to believe the Chargers will be a stronger team in 2014.

Schedule:

There are good and bad points to the Chargers 2014 schedule. One positive is that they face only three East Coast trips, compared to five in 2013, so they travel less. However part of the reason for the avoidance of the East Coast is that the AFC West finds itself matched up against the NFC West, the strongest division in football; that is definitely not a positive. The first key stretch is the run of divisional games between weeks six and eight, they travel to Oakland, host the Chiefs before travelling to the rarefied air of the Mile High stadium on a short week. The second key stretch comes at the end of the season when the Chargers face four consecutive matches against teams expected to be in the hunt for playoff places.

Offense:

The key difference on offense for the Chargers is the departure of offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, and the subsequent promotion of Frank Reich. Little appears to have changed schematically though, the Chargers had expected Whisenhunt's tenure to be short-lived and had recruited Reich with that in mind; Reich spent the 2013 season as the Chargers quarterbacks coach, which worked out pretty well for all concerned.

Rivers was absolutely back to his best, playing smart and accurate football (his 69.5% percent completion percentage led the league) and was in complete control of an offensive scheme that fit his skill set. It placed a premium on fast-developing plays, with the quarterback required to make swift and accurate reads (pre- and post-snap) to identify the open receiver and accept the easy pass when it was available. They ran a lot of slow tempo no huddle, keeping defense off the field and making full use of Rivers cerebral play.

The emergence of wide receiver Keenan Allen and tight end Ladarius Green as legitimate receiving options gave the offense some teeth, and both of them look set for even larger roles this season. Pre-draft injuries and rumors had caused Allen to slide on draft day, allowing the grateful Chargers to draft him in the third round (having passed on him twice already themselves), and the player was apparently on the outside looking in prior to the injuries to Malcom Floyd and Danario Alexander that opened the door for Allen to start. A fit again Floyd returns to start opposite Allen, with Eddie Royal once again in the slot. Green will pair with Antonio Gates to give the Chargers a potent pair of receiving tight ends; at this point in their careers Green is the more dynamic downfield threat, but Gates will still feature and should benefit from an easier workload.

At running back Ryan Mathews quietly had a solid season in 2013, the blocking wasn't always great and he was off the field for extended periods when the team employed the no huddle offense, but he still ran for 1255 yards (4.4 avg) and 6 touchdowns. Danny Woodhead was second on the team with 429 yards, but it's his ability as a receiver (76 receptions, 608 yards, 6 touchdowns) that sets him apart. They have added Brown from the Colts and he will compete with Mathews and Woodhead for touches in the backfield and offers the team a reliable alternative if the fragile Mathews misses time; but whatever way the carries are divided Woodhead will continue to be the primary option for the no huddle.

The 2013 Chargers offensive line took a step forward under new coach Joe D'Alessandris, they added more zone elements to the blocking scheme, the offensive scheme eased the pressure on the line, and they made some personnel switches which paid off. When fit, King Dunlap proved to be a solid addition at left tackle, though his concussion issues are a concern.  The gargantuan D.J. Fluker started as a rookie at right tackle, he has great length and power, but is somewhat ungainly and will always struggle against speed, which is more of a concern when he has been asked to slide over to the left in place of Dunlap. Nick Hardwick leads the line at center, and Chad Rinehart is a solid presence beside him at left guard, but questions remain over the right guard spot. Jeromey Clary (who starts the season on the PUP list) and Johnnie Troutman struggled in 2013 and face competition for the spot from 3rd round draft choice Chris Watt. The line won't be great, but it is no longer a liability and that will be enough for now.

Defense:

In 2013 the Chargers defense struggled to assert itself on opponents. The problems started up front where the absence of a legitimate nose tackle undermined the rest of the front seven, and was the root cause of the teams difficulties against the run (allowing 4.6 yards per carry). In the absence of their two most dynamic pass rushers, Dwight Freeney and Melvin Ingram, the Chargers really struggled to get to the quarterback, recording just 35 sacks. That lack of pass rush further exposed a secondary which was struggling to cover receivers, where solid safety play was consistently undermined by a poor group of corners. Clearly defensive coordinator John Pagano  has his work cut out to field a more competitive unit in 2014.

Unfortunately for the Chargers they are once again they are facing questions at the nose tackle position. Putative starter Sean Lissemore, impressed as a rotational defensive end in 2013 and finished the season doing a decent job filling in at nose tackle, but he lacks the prototypical size and physical traits to play the position full time, and has struggled for fitness throughout the preseason. The unproven Kwame Geathers does possess the physical traits for the position, but he will spend the season on IR, forcing rookie Ryan Carrethers into a larger role than he seems ready for. As a result the Chargers scoured the costless agent market for a veteran and added former Colt and Texan, Ricardo Mathews, who can play across a three man front. Yet Mathews hasn't been stout against the run during his short career, so it would appear to be a stretch to call Mathews the answer to the Chargers run stopping problems.

There are concerns at end as well. Long-limbed and strong, Kendall Reyes looks the part for a 5-technique. However after a promising rookie campaign in 2012 when he flashed big play potential, Reyes endured a miserable sophomore season, and his preseason efforts have done little to suggest he will be better in 2014. Corey Liuget also had a down year in 2013, but was playing injured and looks back to his disruptive best ahead of the 2014 season.

There is better news at linebacker where the presence of the fit again Melvin Ingram and Dwight Freeney, and the addition of Jeremiah Attaochu will ensure the Chargers have a more dynamic pass rush. Jarrett Johnson is a solid player and excels against the run, but he offers little as a pass rusher, so having more dynamic options to rotate in opposite him is essential. Inside Manti Te'o and Donald Butler both struggled in 2013. Butler took on an inside thumper role to pair with Te'o, but that had never been his strength. Butlers best performances as a Charger came alongside Takeo Spikes who took on the primary run stopping duties, leaving Butler to costlesslance and make plays, both of which he did well. Te'o was often off the pace, appearing slow to diagnose plays and missing a few tackles (both strengths of his in college). It was just his rookie season and he was playing injured, so there is reason to believe he will be sharper this season, but a preseason injury has once again left Te'o on the sideline. Kavell Conner partnered Butler in Te'o's absence, taking on the run stopping duties and potentially allowing Butler to get back to the role that suits him best.

The Chargers are set at safety where Eric Weddle continues to be one of the best in the league, while Jahleel Addae, Marcus Gilchrist and Darrell Stuckey are solid contributors alongside him. Weddle fills quite a versatile role for the Chargers, he is nominally a costless safety but will often be found costlesslancing in the box, with Addae or Stuckey covering over the top. It's a different story at corner where an abject group that struggled to cope with speed has been improved by the additions of Brandon Flowers and Jason Verrett, both athletic cover corners. Flowers was one of the best corners in the league while with the Chiefs, but he struggles with press coverage and a schematic shift in 2013 made him a poor fit for the Chiefs offense. Verrett is under-sized and dynamic, gifted with natural man cover skills, he should contribute immediately, probably covering the slot, and has a high upside. Shareece Wright will likely start opposite Flowers, he endured a torrid first season as a starter in 2013, but he did improve down the stretch and could prove to be a solid number two, so long as they shade some safety help over the top when he is faced with speed.

Special Teams:

The Chargers have one of the best punters in the league in Mike Scifres, and a solid place kicker in Nick Novak, however Novak's leg strength is questionable, which is an issue on kick-offs. Donald Brown and Eddie Royal look set to handle the return duties, an area where the Chargers struggled to make an impact in 2013.

2014 Outlook:

With the return of all key personnel alongside a couple of key additions, the Chargers should be stronger in this second season under Mike McCoy. Whether that translates to an improved record is another matter as the Chargers rode their luck at times on their way to a 9-7 record in 2013. However with Rivers at quarterback behind an improving offensive line, and weapons such as Allen, Woodhead, Gates and Green, the Chargers will continue to move the ball and score points. On the other side of the ball the pass rush looks more potent, there are more playmakers in the secondary, and Liuget looks like the disruptive interior presence he was in 2012. For all those positives the 2014 Chargers still have the look of an 8-9 win team, the offensive scheme still sacrifices some big play potential to protect the offensive line, and the problems at the nose tackle position continue to undermine the defense. Good but not yet good enough, however another year of development will set the Chargers up well for 2015, when the salary cap difficulties recede and the Chargers can do more to address their weaknesses.

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About the author
Kevin Connaghan
Sports writer covering cycling, NFL and Michigan football, as well as a general sports fan