The San Diego Chargers Made Themselves Contenders

Dec 20, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (17) looks to the end zone for a receiver during the final minutes of the fourth quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi

San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers is truly a great one but hasn’t had a lot of help lately. On offense, he’s had tight end Antonio Gates and solid receivers like Keenan Allen in the fold. The Chargers haven’t protected him well as he was sacked seven times in Week 17 in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

A win could have gotten them into the playoffs but they wouldn’t have done well if they got in. That’s because you can’t win in the playoffs if you can’t consistently run the ball and-or stop the run. The greatness of Rivers and the Chargers’ solid secondary is the only reason they were close to making the playoffs.

But this offseason, the Chargers addressed what they lacked in a big way and made themselves contenders.

Turn the page to see how they did it.

Next: Improved the Offensive Line