Bears vs. Chargers: What's the Game Plan for San Diego?

San Diego gets the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football in Week 9, as the Chargers try to snap a four-game skid.

Chicago (2-5) has dropped two games in a row, including a 23-20 loss at home to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Blair Walsh kicked the game-winning field goal from 36 yards as time expired to lift the Vikings over their division rivals.

San Diego (2-6) also lost by way of a last-second field goal on Sunday. Justin Tucker's 39-yard field goal helped the Baltimore Ravens get their first win at home, 29-26 over the Chargers.

Two struggling teams looking to turn their seasons around meet in primetime. Without further ado, San Diego's game plan, some key matchups and players to watch, finished off by a prediction. 

Offensive Game Plan

With Philip Rivers going at the rate he is these days, the Chargers would do well to keep the ball in his hands as much as possible. In five consecutive games he has thrown for at least 300 yards and two touchdowns. He's also leading the league in passing with 2,753 yards at the midway point of the season, but Rivers' receiving corps suffered a serious blow with star wideout Keenan Allen being put on injured reserve this week.

Allen, who went out in the first half of Sunday's game with a lacerated kidney, underwent a non-surgical procedure on Monday to stop the bleeding and will miss the rest of the season but is expected to make a full recovery, per Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. In his absence, the Chargers hope to fill the void in the passing game with not just one, but a collection of players.

Ten-year veteran Malcom Floyd, who finished with 92 yards receiving and two touchdowns on Sunday, has experienced life as a No. 1 receiver once before prior to Allen's emergence. And while he has stayed fairly quiet with only 21 receptions in eight games, bear in mind Floyd is one of Rivers' most trusted pass-catching options. Another is tight end Antonio Gates, who, despite dealing with a sprained MCL, played last week and is practicing ahead of Monday night's game, per Chargers.com.

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Stevie Johnson is also in line to see his role increase after seeing only four targets last time out against Baltimore. And the same can be said for Danny Woodhead, who, despite having the second-most receptions (39) among running backs, was targeted only three times on Sunday and finished with two catches for 36 yards. And with second-year man Branden Oliver going on IR with a toe injury, Woodhead is bound to get more touches in the running game along with Melvin Gordon, who earned a season-high 18 carries against the Ravens.

The Chargers, and their fans, are still waiting to see a breakout game from Gordon that would validate his being drafted in the first round. Through eight games, Gordon is averaging 3.7 yards per rush and still looking for his first professional score. San Diego hasn't had a 100-yard rusher in 14 consecutive games dating back to last season. Why is that important? Take a gander at this stat:

Chicago's defense is allowing the fourth-most rush yards per game at 128. So while the Chargers have struggled to run the ball, they should still be able to find some balance running and throwing. And while Vic Fangio's defense ranks No. 4 against the pass at 214 yards per game, the Bears have allowed 16 touchdowns through the air.

As far as who San Diego needs to look out for on defense, there's really only one player who stands out, and that's outside linebacker Pernell McPhee. The ex-Baltimore Ravens defender leads the team in sacks with five and has 28 hurries with seven hits on the quarterback. He is Chicago's highest-rated defender, according to Pro Football Focus, and ranks third overall among 3-4 outside linebackers. McPhee rushes primarily from the left side, as PFF signature stats indicate, so that would pit him against San Diego right tackle Joe Barksdale for most of the night.

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Defensive Game Plan

The Chargers catch a break on defense with Bears two-time Pro Bowl running back Matt Forte likely sidelined for Monday night's game with a knee injury. Forte has not practiced all week, per chicagobears.com, which would indicate rookie Jeremy Langford will be making his first career start. Langford, a fourth-round pick out of Michigan State, has carried the ball 27 times for 80 yards and should be the featured back until Forte returns. He'll be going up against a San Diego defense allowing a league-worst five yards per carry.

But what the Bears bring on offense that's most enticing is in the passing game. Jay Cutler, Chicago's gunslinger of a quarterback, isn't afraid to challenge defensive backs and has a lot of confidence in his arm and his receivers. Fourth-year man Alshon Jeffery, who missed significant time with a hamstring injury, appears to be getting closer and closer to 100 percent based on his performance over the last two games. In Week 6 against the Detroit Lions, Jeffery hauled in eight catches for 147 yards and a score, and just last week he had 10 catches for 116 yards and a touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings.

Defending Jeffery is an almost-impossible task, but one Jason Verrett will have to manage. Jeffrey has top-notch hands, impeccable timing with his jumps and can go up over the top of defenders to make big plays like this one he made against Minnesota. At 6'3" and 216 pounds, he's also very good at using his body to box out defenders trying to break up passes. And then there's tight end Martellus Bennett, who, like Jeffery, possesses great hands and is freakishly athletic at 6'6" and 273 pounds. Bennett has the second-most receptions on the team with 37 and has caught two touchdowns.

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Defending that duo will be tough for San Diego's secondary, which aside from Verrett and Patrick Robinson, hasn't done all that well recently, especially with All-Pro safety Eric Weddle having sat out the last two games due to injury. Weddle was a limited participant in practice Thursday and Friday of this week, so there's a slight chance he could suit up for the Chargers on Monday night.

The Chargers also need to be able to bring pressure at Cutler, but they may be forced to do so without defensive end Corey Liuget, who was carted off on Sunday with a foot injury. Liuget has not practiced this week but hasn't been ruled out yet. Getting after the quarterback will also be the responsibility of Melvin Ingram and Jeremiah Attaochu, who did well to bring pressure at Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco. If Cutler has all day to throw, he'll punish San Diego through the air.

Key Matchups and Players to Watch

Jason Verrett vs. Alshon Jeffery

It was highlighted in the defensive game plan for good reason. Jeffery is getting back into his old ways and already seeing double-digit targets from Cutler. Verrett has been matched up with the opposing team's No. 1 receiver in the past two games and done well, but it will be interesting to see how he does against Jeffery, especially in jump-ball battles. Cutler likes to give his receivers a chance by putting it up there where only they can get to it, and Jeffery's range is pretty ridiculous.

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Joe Barksdale vs. Pernell McPhee

This matchup was touched on earlier, as well. As PFF's Eric Eager wrote in this piece highlighting the 10 best free-agent signings through Week 8, McPhee "has truly been an elite edge rusher" and that's not good for the Chargers and Rivers, who has been sacked 19 times now. Barksdale has not only been San Diego's best pass-blocker, but he's also played the most snaps on the offensive line at 611, per PFF. With all the injuries going on, he's been the one consistent guy for them and is playing well.

Javontee Herndon

Signed from the practice squad this week, Herndon takes over the return duties for the recently released Jacoby Jones. With any luck, Herndon will pick up more yardage on his first punt return than the Chargers have had all season, which is one. One yard on eight attempts; mind-boggling isn't it? Herndon should also do well knowing the Bears kick coverage hasn't been all that good on kickoffs and punts, as they've allowed three touchdown returns (two kicks, one punt) thus far.

Week	Opponent	Att	Yds	Lng
1	Dallas Cowboys	3	63	30
2	Arizona Cardinals	1	11	11
3	Seattle Seahawks	2	14	14
4	San Francisco 49ers	3	8	5

Ryan Carrethers

The second-year nose tackle came into the Baltimore game when Liuget went out with injury and played a season-high 37 snaps while leading the team in tackles with eight. Should Liuget miss Monday's game due to injury, Carrethers might get another opportunity to prove himself. The former fifth-round pick had his rookie year cut short by injury and hasn't played much this season but looks to be getting his work in now on the defensive line.

Prediction

A fifth-straight loss by the Chargers would be a tough pill to swallow, especially going into a bye week. Not only would San Diego be sitting at 2-7, but five straight losses might be evidence enough for ownership to re-evaluate the coaching staff. It's no secret Mike McCoy is on the hot seat with his team in poor standing. Is it entirely his fault? Maybe, maybe not. But make no question about it, his players are still playing hard until the end of games.

The Bears present some challenges on offense, and San Diego's defense has not been up to par lately. But that said, the Chargers still have life so long as Rivers is healthy. It comes down to which quarterback outplays the other, and Rivers seems better equipped to do that. He's having an unbelievable season, and hopefully that equates to a win against Chicago.

Predicted Score: Chargers 34, Bears 29