San Diego Chargers: 6 Players That Need To Step Up To Return Team to Winning Way

With Philip Rivers and Marcus McNeill having the worst seasons of their NFL careers, and Antonio Gates still a little slow in coming back to full speed after returning from injury, it's no wonder the Chargers have lost four straight games. That's what happens, though, when your team's best players are flailing and flailing hard.

If the Chargers are going to have any chance at all of turning the 2011 season around, a number of guys are going to have to find a way to dig a lot deeper and to perform a lot better from here on out. With this in mind, here's my take on six players who need to step their games up in a hurry for San Diego to have a chance at the playoffs and the AFC West division this year.

Philip Rivers

There's no question that Philip Rivers is having his worst season as a pro. With a career-high 15 interceptions this year and career lows in both touchdown passes and quarterback rating, fans are flying off the Rivers bandwagon in droves as we speak.

He's had serious difficulty finding the time in the pocket he needs, though, which has had as much to with Rivers' struggles this season as anything else. At the same time, one aspect of Rivers game that has slipped is his decision making with the football. Rivers knows as well as anyone he needs to get back to being smarter with the football and better at getting rid of it when nothing's open downfield.

He's also had more tipped passes at the line of scrimmage this season, several of which have led to turnovers. It's almost as if teams have keyed on Rivers unorthodox side-arm delivery, and defenses are placing an emphasis on getting their hands up when he plants to throw. Rivers may very well need to make some adjustments in his throwing motion or compensate in some other way if tipped balls continue to be an issue.

Antonio Gates

Antonio Gates made a welcome comeback against the Jets in Week 7 when he returned from the plantar fasciitis injury that has sidelined him since last season. Chargers fans are still waiting for him to completely regain form, though.

Gates has played fairly well with at least four catches in each of the last four games since returning, but he hasn't quite been the game changer the fans are accustomed to.
With only one touchdown so far this season, Gates has struggled to adjust to the way defenses defend against him in the red zone.

Rivers' long-time, go-to target inside the 20 has had trouble getting open near the goal line. Much of this has to do with how defenses are playing Gates now, holding him up at the line of scrimmage with at least one, sometimes two defenders. Teams have figured out that being physical with Gates and not letting him run untouched into the pattern, can severally disrupt the timing of his passing routes.

The Chargers have compensated by lining him up out wide, but he's not getting the separation or the positioning we're used to seeing with as much consistency. It may be that he's still recovering and not quite yet 100 percent. Whatever the case may be, Philip Rivers and the Chargers could use a little more of the Antonio Gates of old as they struggle to stay afloat in the AFC West.

Marcus McNeill

Marcus McNeill has struggled to protect Rivers' blind side since Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings. He got embarrassed by Jared Allen, couldn't get the snap count right against the Jets, was spun in circles by Kansas City's Tamba Hali in Week 8, before being knocked out of the game by the Raiders in Week 10.

McNeill may have as much to do with the Chargers' struggles on offense this year as anything or anyone else not named Norv Turner. His play seemed to decline even further when left guard Kris Dielman went down and hasn't been able to make the adjustment to Luis Vasquez, who also went down against the Raiders.

With Dombrowski the only other legitimate option at left tackle, Marcus McNeill is going to have to get back into the lineup right away and step up big time for the Chargers to have a chance this season.

Eric Weddle

The five-year, $40 million contract signed by Eric Weddle to stay in San Diego this offseason was met with heavy criticism by a large contingent of both the fans and the media. In spite of his detractors, though, by the Chargers' bye week, it appeared that Weddle was well on his way to having a classic breakout season.

Tied for the league lead in interceptions and leading all defensive backs with 11 passes defended by that point, the critics had fallen largely silent. They've returned, though, almost as fast as they slithered away. After making his presence felt early on this year, Weddle has virtually disappeared since.

In the last two games in particular, Weddle has gotten simply ruined by the opposing team's quarterback. Aaron Rodgers and Carson Palmer took their time carving up Weddle over the last two weeks. If Weddle cheated one way, the quarterback threw to the single coverage on the other side—every single time. The direct result was that the Chargers gave up just under 700 yards through the air and six touchdowns against the Packers and Raiders combined.

Sure, a little more pressure from the front seven would go a long way towards helping Weddle and the Chargers' defensive backs out. A true impact player, though, doesn't go to sleep in the middle of a four-game loosing streak.

Vincent Jackson

Vincent Jackson is hoping to cash in on a once-in-a-lifetime payday at the end of this season, to the tune of $100 million. The talented young receiver, designated with the Chargers' franchise tag this year, is going to have to stop taking so many plays off, though, if he wants to get paid.

Although brilliant at times, Jackson has been caught on too many occasions not looking for the ball in crucial situations. He's not getting the separation he has with as much consistency either.

Jackson needs to keep in mind that, to be considered an elite wide receiver in the NFL takes more than size, strength, talent and potential. It takes coming up big in big games on a regular basis and doing it over an extended period of time. There's still time for Jackson, but at least at this point in his career, he's yet to prove that he can.

Corey Liuget

From the moment he was drafted, the Chargers' first pick in 2011 Corey Liuget was expected to contribute right away. Penciled in as the starter at right defensive end out of the gate, Liuget showed flashes of greatness during the preseason, feeding the fans' already high expectations of him coming into the season.

Luiget, though, has yet to become the force that the Chargers' scouting department had envisioned when he was drafted. And while he still has plenty of time to realize his potential as a player, the sooner the better as far as the Chargers are concerned.

A rash of injuries throughout the Chargers' starting front seven has thrust a number of San Diego's prospects around the trenches into full-time action. With Philips, English and Castillo, still out, players like Liuget, Vaughn Martin and Cam Thomas need to pick up the slack and turn up the heat on opposing offenses for the Chargers to have a chance at turning this season around.