The Chargers closed the 2013 season with four straight victories to secure a playoff spot, a late run that was fueled in part by the return of several injured players to the lineup.
This year’s team returns from their bye week on a three-game losing streak that has clouded their postseason chances and they’re again looking to the return of several players to help give them a lift in the final part of the season. Running back Ryan Mathews and linebackers Melvin Ingram, Manti Te’o and Jeremiah Attaochu have all returned to practice this week, but linebacker Jarret Johnson cautions that the superficial similarities to last year aren’t a guarantee that things will play out the same way.
“Hopefully they can make a huge impact right away, but a lot of them haven’t played ball in seven, eight, nine weeks,” Johnson said, via U-T San Diego. “To just think because we’re going to get guys back and the world is going to be different, ... you’ve still got to go out and play. That’s what we did last year. We played well and with energy. We’re hoping that happens again, but we have to go out and do it. You can’t rely off of what happened last year. But we’ll see. Hope so.”
The Chargers have two straight home games against the Raiders and Rams in the next two weeks, which offers them a good chance to get the ship righted before a rough finishing stretch that sees them face the Ravens, Patriots, Broncos, 49ers and Chiefs. Navigating that schedule with a winning record won’t be easy and will take the efforts of everyone on the roster, not just the guys who haven’t been around for the negative turn in fortunes.