Around the league: AFC West

**oneinchpunch** · 08-23-2013, 09:50 AM

NFL.com

SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego Chargers last made the playoffs following a 13-3 campaign in 2009. Since then, the worst they've finished a season is 7-9, which happened in 2012.

And yet, the three-year postseason drought feels like an epic collapse. Given the expectations, the big names on the roster, the talent at the quarterback position, San Diego's absence from January relevance seems staggeringly lengthy. It led to an offseason housecleaning.

Gone are coach Norv Turner and general manager A.J. Smith. In came a slew of new, young, fresh faces roaming the halls, trying to bring what had been one of the NFL's oldest teams back into the mix.

Here are five things I learned while spending Thursday with the Chargers:

1. Philip Rivers has stronger support system on and off the field. Coinciding with San Diego's fall from grace is the same reality for quarterback Philip Rivers. With an offensive line crumbling around him and his team stubbing its toe amid lofty expectations, Rivers resorted back to being just pretty good. His quarterback rating and yards per game have been down, while his interceptions have been up. And yet, when I talked to offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt this past spring, he told me he believed Rivers could return to the Pro Bowl. Whisenhunt felt similar optimism Thursday, and he raved about the process. "When you have a guy that's been in the league as long as he has, there's a lot of knowledge there," Whisenhunt told me. "It helps you grow as a coach." Whisenhunt has been energized. Internally, the Chargers believe much of Rivers' downturn was related to a lack of protection, which explains the drafting of Alabama's D.J. Fluker in the first round. GM Tom Telesco said, "You can already see (Fluker) has leadership capabilities, and that'll continue to grow." All that should make Rivers more comfortable and efficient, as his confidence in his protection grows. But it's not just Whisenhunt. Mike McCoy, the head coach, was hired in part because of his quarterback prowess. And quarterbacks coach Frank Reich adds his expertise, too. The improved Rivers should benefit. "He's got three different guys to lean on," Telesco said. "When you're in the league for a long time, done things one way, sometimes a change is good. It can refocus. I think he's got a nice support system there with those three guys."

2. Dwight Freeney will be on the field a lot. The Chargers acquired Dwight Freeney in the offeseason, paying him more than $4 million per year to be an impactful pass-rusher and a veteran who could pass along his knowledge to younger teammates. From my conversation with defensive coordinator John Pagano, San Diego likes what it sees from the 33-year-old. "It's been unbelievable. He's been unbelievable," Pagano told me. "How he comes to work, practice, his effort, his love and passion of the game. He's been a pro's pro. ... You can tell why he's been one of the best pass-rushers over the last 10 years." Pagano raved about Freeney's film study habits, how he'll revisit his work against an endless variety of looks. As far as how the Chargers will use him, Pagano said it won't be just as a pass-rush specialist. "He's going to be an every-down guy for us," Pagano said. "Need him on first, second, third down. He's going to play all downs. If you spot guys here and there, they never get into the defense. They never get the defense. They don't understand the whole process of the defensive calls. That's the mindset he has. Otherwise, you never learn the why. He is a why guy."

3. Everything is new in San Diego. When you have a new coach, new general manager, new executives, a mostly new coaching staff and new players, there is a freshness to the building. That's what the Chargers have. A holdover from the old staff, Pagano said, "It feels like a brand new environment." Let's face it: Even with all the success the Chargers had in the past decade, it had grown stale. Enter Telesco, 40. Enter McCoy, a first-time head coach. Enter John Spanos, the 30-something executive VP of football operations, who cut his teeth both in contracts and for 10 years in scouting and personnel. And on the business side is 30-something brother A.G., the Chief Executive Officer. They represent the future for what had become an old franchise in many ways. If there ever was a place that needed fresh eyes to rebuild, this was it. How is the rebuilding going? It will take more than this year to re-stock the cupboard left underratedly bare. Still, as one executive said, they have a quarterback and that can accelerate things. Look at the Indianapolis Colts last year. Mass turnover on the roster and a quarterback led to the playoffs. That's the model. "Once the players that were here bought in, I think everybody else just fell into place and the practices have been great, crisp," Telesco said. "We're seeing progress. We know we got a little ways to go. We got two more weeks to work here before the regular season starts. We're probably a team that needs this preseason right now, see what everyone's role is going to be opening day." Helping matters is that the rookies have impressed, and not just Fluker and Manti Te'o (who Pagano says can be an every-down linebacker). It's the whole group. "The great thing is, there's been no surprises," Telesco said. "What we've seen in college, we've seen out here, which with all the work we do on this, it's not always the case."

**Den60** · 08-24-2013, 06:52 AM

You forgot to add this graphic:

Predictions 2013 AFC West.jpg

**ArtistFormerlyKnownAsBKR** · 08-24-2013, 06:58 AM

Nice to see many of the prognosticators are beginning to see where we really are. It's strange, though, that it took a training camp to figure that out. Could have seen it before Norv was fired.

With a few breaks (positive ones not more knee injuries), I expect to see us in that 5-6 win range.

Around the league: AFC West

Around the league: AFC West

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