San Diego Chargers and Their New Year's Resolution: Get To the Super Bowl

The season is over for the San Diego Chargers, as all that is left is one meaningless game. Tomorrow is the start of a new year and with it a whole new season will unfold for the Bolts. If the Chargers want to improve and become the championship-caliber team that they ought to be, then there are some New Year’s resolutions the team needs to take to heart.

First, the Bolts need to bring a smash-mouth, in your face approach to the running game next year. A good rushing game will open up the passing game. If the Chargers want to play Norv Turner's "vertical offense", then they will need to rely more on the rushing game to do so successfully. By bringing defenses up to respect the run, the Chargers will open up the deep pass over the top on a more consistent basis.

If Phillip Rivers has another career year and leads the NFL in passing yards and TDs again, then you’ll know that the Chargers aren't a serious playoff contender.

This year the Chargers played with a balanced attack. If the opponent was stacking the box with an eight-man front, the Chargers threw deep when possible. If the defense was back in coverage, the Chargers either ran or played the "west coast" offense with the short passing game.

In either case, the Chargers let the opponent's defense dictate how their offense played the game and thus were at the mercy of what those defenses allowed. I am suggesting that next year, the Chargers force their opponents to adjust to the offense instead of the other way around.

Second, the coaching staff needs to focus on conditioning and mental toughness in training camp. They need to get the guys hungry to bring a beatdown on their opponents. Ideally, the players should think of themselves as a pack of ravaging wolves, hungry for the kill.

The Chargers have been playing too tentatively this season and in the past. Playing that way has led to a preponderance of injuries and an easygoing mentality. By getting aggro on their opponents, the team can accomplish two things: put fear into their opponent’s heads, a key to winning any battle before it is even played out, and reducing injuries.

Next, the Chargers need to send Norv up to Camp Pendleton for some sergeant training or hire R. Lee Ermey as his personal trainer. Either way, Norv needs to learn how to motivate his players, not with logic and pleasantries but with intimidation and threats.

Norv needs to be able to light a fire under his players' collective behinds, get them mentally tough as if each and every game was a battlefield and the players were in a fight for their lives.

Nothing gets a man focused like the threat of imminent danger. While football is not war, that is still the mentality that the great teams strive for each and every week.

Instead of finding a replacement for a player after an injury, Norv needs to find them after a mental mistake.

Norv should be benching guys if they fail to remain focused. No player should feel his job is safe regardless of his play. If that means losing a few games until such time that the players come to realize that they must give each and every game their all or they will be replaced, then so be it. Trust me, the players will learn quickly once a few of them sit out a game or two for making a crucial fumble or missing a tackle on special teams.

Lastly, acquiring mental focus and mental toughness will have a tremendous side benefit for the Chargers. In addition to the aforementioned, these traits will help to reduce the number of mistakes that the Chargers make year in and year out. Whether it's turnovers, blocked punts, missed tackles or blown coverage, keeping players mentally in the game and hungry will reduce the number of mistakes and make this team the Super Bowl contender it ought to be and a team the fans can finally be proud of.