Injury Report: Chargers Look To Run Past Broncos As McCoy Remains On Hot Seat
By Dave Thomas
While the AFC playoffs seem like an unattainable goal at this point, the San Diego Chargers do have things to play for over these last five games of the season.
Coming into the year, San Diego (3-8) had high hopes of contending not only for the AFC West crown, but also making a deep push into the playoffs. With those hopes over now, the Bolts can still have an impact on just who does play for AFC supremacy. Starting with this Sunday's home tilt with Denver (9-2), the Chargers play all AFC teams the remainder of the way, including four-of-five division teams.
So, what can the Chargers do to make life miserable for the Broncos, Chiefs, and Raiders over the next five weeks?
Denver Playing With Confidence
It is safe to say that the Broncos are playing with a fair amount of swagger this season, especially after last Sunday evening's overtime thriller against the previously undefeated New England Patriots. With veteran quarterback Peyton Manning still down with assorted injuries, backup Brock Osweiler has done more than just a nice job filling in for the future Hall-of-Famer.
The Arizona State product led the Broncos to victory in overtime against the Patriots, giving him a 1-0 mark in head-to-head duels with another future Hall-of-Famer, Tom Brady. While it may seem a stretch to many to think Osweiler can lead the Broncos to a Super Bowl appearance and title, he will definitely get his shot these next few weeks as Manning rests. The thinking man's theory is that Denver is letting Manning rehab while the Broncos all but have the AFC West wrapped up.
Meanwhile, one team not playing with a ton of confidence would be the Chargers. Despite a big road win at Jacksonville last Sunday, San Diego still has many issues with which to address over these last five games of the season. Among them are:
- Finding enough able bodies to compete - While this week's injury report is nowhere near as long as it has been in recent weeks, the Bolts are dinged up on a number of fronts. Starting offensive guard D.J. Fluker missed last week's game against the Jags due to a concussion. He is listed as questionable for this Sunday.
- Solid running game - Even though rookie running back Melvin Gordon (143 carries, 510 yards rushing, no TDs) has had his moments this season, the Wisconsin product has not lived up to the hype as far as many people are concerned. Yes, an ineffective offensive line certainly has stunted Gordon's abilities this year, but the former Badger just hasn't seemed entirely comfortable in the offensive system to date. Playing well these last five games of the season would certainly boost his confidence and that of the fans going into 2016;
- Will McCoy and Co. return? - It is true that the majority of head coaches on the hot seat will tell you they don't think about that. Okay, that may be true from a PR perspective, but how could you not be concerned about potentially losing your job? Head coach Mike McCoy (9-7 his first two seasons in San Diego) is definitely one of the coaches around the league feeling the heat. A strong finish to the season may or may not save his bacon, so this next month will undoubtedly be important on so many fronts.
Probable:
Ladarius Green, tight end (ankle)
Chris Hairston, offensive tackle (abdomen)
Philip Rivers, quarterback (foot)
Questionable:
King Dunlap, tackle (ankle)
D.J. Fluker, offensive guard (concussion)
Corey Liuget, defensive end (foot)
Dave Thomas has been covering the sports world since his first job as a sports editor for a weekly newspaper in Pennsylvania back in 1989. He has covered a Super Bowl, college bowl games, MLB, NBA and more. His work can be found on Examiner.com.