San Diego Chargers 2016 Season Preview
Chris Ransom follow @DraftUtopia Posted on 7/7/2016.
What I said about the San Diego Chargers in 2014: Philip Rivers had a completion percentage of 69.5 percent. The AFC West is a toss up after Denver. It looked like the Chiefs would get second. Releasing Brandon Flowers was costly when you consider that San Diego added him. San Diego could get anywhere between 4 to 10 wins. How this offensive line plays and how the secondary covers will determine whether the Chargers' are a contender or a pretender. With the second best quarterback in the AFC West, Chargers' fans feel optimistic about their 2014 season.
What I am saying about the San Diego Chargers in 2015: Rivers enters a contract year needing a huge season. San Diego is capable of winning the AFC West with the offense they wield. At the same time, the Chargers lack a pass rush and they could finish third in the AFC West. It will be interesting to see what the Chargers do in 2015.
What I am saying about the San Diego Chargers in 2016: Philip Rivers played well in 2015 putting together another career year. Keenan Allen stayed healthy for a good portion of the season and the defense did well with Melvin Ingram and Jerremiah Attoachu and those two pass rushers may do better with both entering contract years. Gates isn't suspended for the first four games and the Chargers still have the same anemic situation at left tackle with King Dunlap that they have had for the last three years.
San Diego Chargers Free Agency Recap
The Chargers made a few offensive additions in Free Agency. They added wide receiver Travis Benjamin and also signed Chicago Bears left guard Matt Slauson as a center.
San Diego Chargers 2016 NFL Draft Grades
San Diego Chargers Quarterback Summary: The Chargers have a Pro Bowl quarterback in Philip Rivers. They got no backup if he gets injured. Having Kellen Clemens as a backup and Zach Mettenberger as a third stringer are last resort options for the Chargers. If Rivers suffered a preseason injury that caused him to miss the entire season like Trent Green did when the Rams won Super Bowl 34 then the Chargers could go 0-16 Rivers is that vital to San Diego.
The Chargers have so much resources with quarterbacks coaches. Head Coach Mike McCoy developed Jake Delhomme, Tim Tebow, and Peyton Manning before coming to San Diego. Rivers completed 69.5 percent of his passes when Ken Whisenhunt was the Chargers offensive coordinator prior to him taking a head coaching gig with the Titans. Shane Steichen was a starting quarterback for UNLV when Rivers was a starting quarterback at North Carolina State and now Steichen enters his first year as the Chargers quarterback coach. San Diego also has former Notre Dame quarterback Tommy Rees as an offensive assistant.
Philip Rivers is the heart and soul of San Diego at quarterback. He could have another spectacular season and he will have to if the Chargers expect to win. My peeve with the Chargers is that if these offensive minds are really as good as people make them out to be then they can develop Kellen Clemens or Zach Mettenberger into a solid backup that may fool a team into thinking they could start if Rivers goes down.
San Diego Chargers Running Back Summary: The San Diego Chargers have a one two punch in Melvin Gordon and Danny Woodhead. Gordon had more rushing yards, but Woodhead is a far better pass catcher out of the backfield. You also got fullback Derek Watt, the younger brother of J.J. Watt as a blocker at fullback. Derek Watt has team chemistry with Gordon that goes back to their Big 10 days at Wisconsin. Ollie Wilson has been the Chargers running back coach since 2008.
San Diego Chargers Wide Receiver Summary: San Diego has one true #1 flanker receiver in Keenan Allen. Travis Benjamin will be used as a #2 receiver on the outside in two wide receiver sets. Benjamin will move to the slot with Stevie Johnson on the outside. Dontrelle Inman provides an okay backup receiver, but he's not a starter. The rest of San Diego's wide receivers are warm bodies so the lack of depth at wide receiver is evident.
Nick Sirianni was a great quarterback coach the last two seasons for Philip Rivers. Sirianni is now gonna coach the wide receivers. If Sirianni can prove that he can coach the quarterbacks and the wide receivers then he's someone the Chargers can strongly consider promoting to offensive coordinator if Ken Whisenhunt leaves for a head coaching gig.
San Diego Chargers Tight End Summary: San Diego may not have a tight ends coach. Antonio Gates is one of the best tight ends of all time and he won't be suspended for the first four games like in 2015. Third round pick Hunter Henry gets to be his understudy at tight end and could blossom into the player that eventually replaces Gates. At the same time Henry is listed as a fourth string tight end behind Seth McGrath and Jeff Cumberland on the Chargers depth chart.
San Diego Chargers Offensive Line Summary: The overpaid injury prone King Dunlap is back at left tackle. Releasing Dunlap would have cost the Chargers cap room so they had to keep him. San Diego also has Joseph Barksdale who will be a great right tackle for the Chargers. Chris Hairston is a good swing tackle and I think he's better than Dunlap in my honest opinion.
Left guard Orlando Franklin and right guard D.J. Fluker were great run blockers, but there were times where Gordon and Woodhead didn't have the ball carrier vision to attack the defense head on. Matt Slauson was good at left guard for the Bears, but awful at center. San Diego brought him in as a starting center, and while they drafted Max Tuerk who is currently a fourth string center even though he's much better than Chris Watt or Trevor Robinson.
Jeff Davidson was an awesome offensive line coach for the Minnesota Vikings from 2011-2015. The Chargers offensive line mainly consists of power blockers with size and now those blockers will learn Davidson's run blocking scheme.
I love the Chargers offensive coaches. San Diego will rely heavily on their offense if they expect to win games in 2016. The Chargers were 26th in points per game, 9th in total yards, 4th in passing yards, and 31st in rushing yards in 2015. There's no reason why their points scored and rushing yards cannot improve in 2016.
San Diego Chargers Defensive Line Summary: Corey Liuget is still dealing with injuries at 3-4 right end. Joey Bosa is struggling against the Chargers backup right tackle in one on one battles. San Diego has an awful defensive line without a healthy Liuget and having Giff Smith a defensive line coach with the Titans take over as defensive line coach for the Chargers, that will hurt the Chargers up front.
San Diego Chargers Linebacker Summary: I didn't think much of Melvin Ingram and Jeremiah Attaochu last year. Both linebackers showed they could develop into sack artists at 3-4 right outside linebacker and 3-4 left outside linebacker. Manti Te'o and Denzel Perryman form a good duo at 3-4 middle linebacker. San Diego also drafted Joshua Perry for depth, and Perry could ultimately replace Te'o if the Chargers don't want to bring Te'o back after this season as Ingram, Attaochu, and Te'o are all Free Agents in 2017.
John Pagano is the brother of Chuck Pagano. He's in his fifth year as the Chargers defensive coordinator. Bob Babich the Jaguars former defensive coordinator is now the Chargers linebackers coach. San Diego has two great defensive minds that know how to mold linebackers and three of their four starting linebackers in their 3-4 defense enter contract years which is why I expect the Chargers linebackers to have huge seasons even if they lose a lot of games in 2016.
San Diego Chargers Defensive Backs Summary: The Chargers have great cornerbacks. Brandon Flowers is still a #1 field cornerback. They got Jason Verrett at the boundary covering #2 receivers. Casey Heyward is a great option at nickel cornerback and with all the depth the Packers had at cornerback, San Diego had the luxury to overpay him. I like Steve Williams as a dime corner. Craig Mager, a 2015 third round pick can be a quarter cornerback. There is no depth outside of these cornerbacks and there are no starting safeties. Jaheel Addae and Dwight Lowery are backups.
Ron Milus is the Chargers defensive backs coach. Milus can develop cornerbacks and make them Pro Bowlers.
The Chargers defense was a mess in 2015. San Diego was 24th in sacks, 21st in points allowed, 20th in total yards allowed, 14th in pass defense, and 20th in run defense. San Diego's run defense will slightly improve with the addition of Bob Babich as a linebackers coach. Without Eric Weddle the pass defense will go from being a top 15 pass defense to a top 20 pass defense. Expect more of the same mediocre play when it comes to San Diego's defense in 2016.
San Diego Chargers Special Teams Summary: Josh Lambo went 26/32. He wasn't the most accurate kicker, but he made a 54-yard field goal last season and was pretty reliable. Rookie punter Drew Kaser went to Texas A&M and will start right away. I don't trust San Diego's return man, and I think they need a return specialist.
Craig Aukerman enters his first year as the Chargers special teams coordinator after being an assitant with the Chargers on special teams for the past three seasons. San Diego has a ton of problems on special teams. If Josh Lambo hits rock bottom and Drew Kaser fails to outplay Riley Dixon then I think the Chargers can consider moving on from Aukerman because I believe their special teams may struggle under him.
San Diego Chargers 2016 NFL Schedule
Week |
Date |
Opponent |
Time |
Cable Network |
Result |
Week 1 |
September 11 |
AT  |
1 PM EST |
CBS |
L |
Week 2 |
September 18 |
VS  |
4:25 EST |
CBS |
L |
Week 3 |
September 25 |
AT  |
4:25 PM EST |
CBS |
L |
Week 4 |
October 2 |
VS  |
4:25 PM EST |
FOX |
W |
Week 5 |
October 9 |
AT  |
4:25 PM EST |
CBS |
L |
Week 6 |
October 13 |
VS  |
8:25 PM EST |
CBS |
W |
Week 7 |
October 23 |
AT  |
4:05 PM EST |
FOX |
L |
Week 8 |
October 30 |
AT |
4:05 PM EST |
CBS |
L |
Week 9 |
November 6 |
VS  |
4:25 PM EST |
CBS |
L |
Week 10 |
November 13 |
VS  |
4:05 PM EST |
CBS |
W |
Week 11 |
|
Bye Week |
|
|
|
Week 12 |
November 27 |
AT  |
1 PM EST |
CBS |
L |
Week 13 |
December 4 |
VS  |
4:25 PM EST |
FOX |
L |
Week 14 |
December 11 |
AT  |
1 PM EST |
FOX |
L |
Week 15 |
December 18 |
VS |
4:25 PM EST |
CBS |
W |
Week 16 |
December 24 |
AT  |
1 PM EST |
CBS |
W |
Week 17 |
January 1 |
VS |
1 PM EST |
CBS |
L |
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