2014 NFL Preview: Everything you need to know about the San Diego Chargers

AFC Previews
BUF | MIA | NE | NYJ
BAL | CIN | CLE | PIT
HOU | IND | JAX | TEN
DEN | KC | OAK | SD
NFC Previews
DAL | NYG | PHI | WAS
CHI | DET | GB | MIN
ATL | CAR | NO | TB
ARI | STL | SF | SEA

San Diego Chargers

Schedule | Roster

The Chargers made the playoffs the hard way in 2013. After a Week 11 loss to the Miami Dolphins, San Diego was 4-6 and looked to be on its way to missing the postseason for a fourth year in a row. The Bolts though won four of five to head into the final week of the season with a chance to earn a playoff berth.

Again the Chargers would make things difficult, trailing by 10 points in the fourth quarter before eventually sending the Week 17 game to overtime. In the extra frame, Nick Novak's 36-yard field goal propelled San Diego into the postseason.

Not happy with just making it, San Diego earned a road victory over the Cincinnati Bengals before succumbing to the Denver Broncos in the Divisional round. Still, it marked a successful season and is reason for optimism surrounding the Chargers in 2014.   

Preseason Power Ranking - #13

The Chargers knew that their defensive secondary was an issue last season, so the front office addressed that by drafting Jason Verrett out of TCU. They snuck into the playoffs last season and could be even better this year. More...

Key Additions/Departures

Key Additions: RB Donald Brown, CB Brandon Flowers

Key Departures: QB Charlie Whitehurst, FB Le'Ron McClain, CB Derek Cox

The biggest addition for the Chargers came well after most teams had completed their free agent spending. When the Chiefs released Flowers in June, San Diego wisely scooped up the 2013 Pro Bowler to help a secondary that was woefully overmatched last season.

The Chargers were a good fit for Flowers as well, since it gives him the opportunity to play his former team twice a year, a fact that played a large part in his decision to come to San Diego.

Outside of Flowers, the Chargers didn't make much of a splash either way in free agency. Brown is a nice addition that showed playmaking ability for the Indianapolis Colts last season, but he joins a loaded backfield that already contains Ryan Mathews and Danny Woodhead.

2014 Draft Class

Prior to signing Flowers, the Chargers addressed their weakness in the secondary by drafting Jason Verrett out of TCU. San Diego allowed the most yards per pass play of any team in the AFC in 2013, so improving at cornerback was an absolute must in the offseason.  

Landing a shutdown corner wasn't the only successful move for San Diego during the draft, as Jeremiah Attaochu should fit very nicely into the Chargers 3-4 scheme. Tevin Reese, the seventh-round pick, will be interesting to watch for his big play ability. He caught 25 career touchdowns at Baylor and 22 of them went for at least 40 yards.

Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Mike McCoy
Offensive Coordinator: Frank Reich
Defensive Coordinator: John Pagano

After 13 years as an assistant in the league, including the previous three as the Broncos offensive coordinator, Mike McCoy finally got his chance to be a head coach in 2013 and the choice paid big dividends as he guided the squad to the postseason.

San Diego's offense was among the best in football last year and that earned Ken Whisenhunt the head coaching position with the Tennessee Titans. After a season as the quarterbacks coach, former NFL QB Frank Reich takes over for Whisenhunt as offensive coordinator and look for him to put the ball in Philip Rivers' hands as often as possible.

2014 Schedule

This season starts out with a couple of tough games against NFC West opponents in the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks, but gets a little more manageable during the middle part of the season. However, San Diego will have to pick up as many early wins as possible because it will be hard-pressed to run off a streak at the end of the year like the one in 2013 that got the Bolts into the postseason. 

The Chargers finish the year with four straight games against 2013 playoff teams (the Patriots, Broncos, 49ers and Chiefs) including road games in Kansas City and San Francisco for the final two weeks of the season.

Bold Predictions

Melvin Ingram will record 10+ sacks. Ingram’s sophomore season was derailed by a torn ACL suffered in a spring workout. Incredibly, the 2012 first-round pick returned to play in December and even recorded a sack. His recovery is one of the fastest returns from a major ACL injury in NFL history. Now over a year removed from the initial injury, Ingram is poised for a major breakout season. - David Woods

Philip Rivers passes for over 5,000 yards. After many suggested he was on the down swing, Rivers responded in 2013 with arguably his best season and helped offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt earn the head coaching position in Tennessee. Whisenhunt's replacement is former NFL quarterback Frank Reich who will give Rivers every opportunity to best his numbers from last year. Combine that with a solid receiver corps and Rivers will cross the 5,000 yard plateau for the first time in his career. - Mike Dickson