photo credit: bleacherreport.com
2012 Record: 7-9 (2nd in AFC West)
2012 Season Review: Going into 2012 it seemed like fans of the San Diego Chargers had been calling for the metaphorical heads of General Manager AJ Smith and head coach Norv Turner for years. Well after yet another disappointing season which featured just seven wins, those fans finally got their wish on the NFL’s black Monday, with both Smith and Turner being shown the door. Lost in the shuffle from all of this has been the substandard recent play of quarterback Philip Rivers, who has certainly taken a step back from his elite play just a few seasons ago. New GM Tom Telesco and head coach Mike McCoy will be tasked with trying to return Rivers to his once-influential self this season.
Offseason Review: Key Additions- DE Dwight Freeney, CB Derek Cox, RB Danny Woodhead, OL DJ Fluker (draft), LB Manti Te’o (draft), WR Keenan Allen (draft)….Departures- OL Louis Vasquez, LB Shaun Phillips, OL Tyronne Green, WR Michael Spurlock….Final Analysis- Much of Philip Rivers’ recent struggles can be attributed to the fact that he’s had one of the league’s worst offensive lines protecting him over that period. Improving this putrid offensive line had to be among the Chargers top priorities this offseason and thankfully it was. Although when it came time to actually make moves I’m not so sure that San Diego did such a great job. They lost easily the best player on this offensive line, guard Louis Vasquez, to division rival Denver as well as seeing his fellow guard Tyronne Green walk to New England. Replacing them will be Chad Rinehart, who was very solid in 2011 before being out for most of last season with injury, along with Jeromey Clary. Moving over from right tackle, Clary has struggled as a blocker for some time now so it may be hard for him to be any worse this season. To replace Clary and Jared Gaither at the tackle positions, San Diego signed King Dunlap and drafted DJ Fluker with their first selection. Dunlap has really just been a middle-of-the-road type guy for a while now, while Fluker was one of the top linemen in the draft yet still should take some time to develop into an NFL talent. So while the Chargers did make a ton of moves as an attempt to improve their abysmal offensive line from a year ago, I’m not so sure how much better they actually made it. This looks like it’ll be a reoccurring problem for them again in 2013. Expanding upon their draft, the Chargers used their next to picks after Fluker on linebacker Manti Te’o and wide receiver Keenan Allen. We’ve seen the talent and promise that Te’o has shown in college, but we’ve also seen him go through a messy off-the-field situation along with getting absolutely manhandled by a pro-style Alabama offense in the national championship. The jury’s definitely still out on this guy, but he’ll have his chance to prove doubters wrong as a starting middle linebacker this season. Allen was considered a first-round prospect by many heading into the draft, but off-the-field issues also played a role in his draft stock falling. He’s an extremely talented receiver that will have an even greater impact on this San Diego passing attack now that Danario Alexander is out for the year.
Strengths: It’s hard to pinpoint an area of strength for this Chargers offense in 2013. They appear to have the potential to be a solid unit, but it always seems like they leave you dissatisfied by the end of the season. That’ll likely be the case in 2013 yet again. Is it possible that Rivers regains his form that has seemingly been lost since somewhere in 2010? Sure, but it’s unlikely. Is it possible that classic underachievers like Malcom Floyd and Robert Meachem combine with the rookie Allen and a rejuvenated Antonio Gates to form a solid passing attack? Sure, but it’s unlikely. Is it possible that Ryan Matthews finally stays healthy for a season and isn’t a total bust? Sure, but it’s unlikely. This unit has so much potential to be at least ranked among the league’s top half this season (they were 31st in total offense a year ago), but until they prove to the football world that they can actually play to that potential, I just can’t say that they’ll be very strong. But for a defense that was rarely talked about last season yet was among some of the league’s best, the bright spot has to be a stout defensive line unit. San Diego actually ranked sixth in the league last season against the run, and much of that can be attributed to their stellar pair of ends, Kendall Reyes and Corey Liuget. These two were easily among the league’s better and more underrated pairs of ends last season, obviously stopping the run as well as combining for 12.5 sacks. I look for each of these still-developing 24 year-olds to improve this season as the Chargers pass-rush gets better as a whole with the additions of Dwight Freeney and Manti Te’o. Sandwiched in between Reyes and Liuget on the defensive line will be the 6’4” 330-pound mammoth of a man Cam Thomas. He’ll get his first crack as a starter this season and should play an integral part in defending against the run.
Weaknesses: I said in the last section how the Chargers offense really isn’t incredibly strong in any single aspect or position, but the exact opposite thing can also be validly stated. This offensive line shouldn’t be terrible this season (or should at least improve upon last year’s debacle), but I still somewhat look at them as a weakness. The interior guys shouldn’t play terrible together this season, but I still have some major concerns about their pair of tackles. As talented as he may be Fluker will still take some time to develop and adapt to the NFL game, while Dunlap is really not very good at all. To make matters worse, Dunlap will be protecting Rivers’ blind-side in 2013 so that should be fun. If (when) Dunlap struggles this season the Chargers won’t even have a serviceable replacement to call upon. Backup Max Starks isn’t scaring any pass-rushers while Fluker is incapable of playing the position. This ragtag offensive line shouldn’t make things any easier for a San Diego rushing attack which ranked 27th in the league last season. Ryan Matthews was expected to transcend into the upper-echelon of NFL running backs last season after a stellar 2011. Instead he played in just 12 games, running for only 707 yards and a single touchdown. Now there are major concerns as to whether or not he can prove to be a consistent and reliable NFL running back. This will really be a make-or-break season for Matthews, and running behind a slightly below-average offensive line at best certainly won’t help his chances. Backing up the injury-prone Matthews will be the well-traveled Ronny Brown and the recently-acquired Danny Woodhead. Each of those two guys can be solid in short spurts, but if they are needed to produce as a full-time starter if Matthews was to go down then I wouldn’t feel so confident in them. I expect this rushing attack to again rank in the league’s bottom ten for this season.
Fantasy Breakout Player: With the injury to Danario Alexander depleting this already weak receiving corps, I look for Malcom Floyd to finally have a legitimate breakout season in 2013. For the second half of his eight year career Floyd has been right around a 40-50 reception guy for around 700 yards and a few touchdowns. This will probably be his final chance to propel himself into that second-tier of NFL receivers, as he turns 32 this September. He’ll see a ton of targets from Rivers who, although turnover-prone, is still capable to deliver him the ball. I like him as a solid late-round receiver in most league’s this season.
Best Case/Worst Case: Best Case- Behind a new head coach, Rivers is able to revert back to his stellar form of old. Matthews stays healthy and produces for an entire season, providing a huge boost for the NFL’s 31st overall offense last season. The defense just as well as it did last season, and San Diego surprisingly contends for a playoff spot. Worst Case- Rivers regresses even further, leading to even more questions about his suddenly shaky future. The defensive pass-rush is sub-par, making things very tough on a lackluster secondary. The Chargers are among the league’s worst team and pick in the top five during next year’s draft.
One Word to Describe This Preview for the Lazy: Delusion? The question mark there was not a typo, as I believe this is a serious question. For years Chargers fans have been obsessed with getting rid of Norv Turner and AJ Smith, with good reason of course. But over that time period their team has gotten worse and worse, something which has seemingly gone unnoticed by most. Now in 2013 Chargers fans will finally get a taste of their team with a new head coach, but will they come to the harrowing realization that the old one wasn’t totally the only guy to blame for their struggles all along?
Prediction: 6-10
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