San Diego Chargers
Offense
Mike McCoy is proving himself to be one of — if not — the best offensive minds in the game today. Last year he helped Philip Rivers revive his career, and after a year of bringing the Bolts back to the contention has even more weapons to work with.
Donald Brown, Ryan Mathews and Danny Woodhead give the Chargers a three-headed rushing monster, while Keenan Allen should continue to develop in his sophomore season. Ladarius Green may be the most intriguing player on this offense heading into 2014.
Defense
Like a number of other AFC West squads, San Diego is relying on a collection of veterans on the defensive side of the ball. Jarret Johnson and Dwight Freeney are expected to be key pass-rushers, while young talents like Manti Te’o and Melvin Ingram offer upside.
The most glaring weakness in 2013 was the secondary, which was addressed by the addition of free-agent Brandon Flowers and first-round pick Jason Verrett. Those two alone should bolster what was an atrocious pass defense last year.
Outlook
The Chargers’ surged into the playoffs last year, winning four straight en route to earning a Wildcard spot. Now that the team has been together in this new scheme longer, expect a stronger performance right out of the gates, picking up right where it left off in 2013.
Rivers continues to re-insert his name in the elite quarterback discussion, and McCoy will continue to design an offense to suit his strengths. Defense remains a bit touchy, but should be a middle-of-the-pack unit.
These Bolts should again be playoff-bound, where Rivers has a history of leading his team deep. The question is whether they have enough to stack up with the big boys like Denver and New England.
