On the back of a very efficient offense and solid run defense, the San Diego Chargers surprisingly snuck into the playoffs with a 9-7 record last season. They then knocked off the Cincinnati Bengals in the Wild Card round, before losing to the Denver Broncos in the Divisional Round. While the loaded AFC West will not do them any favors, the Chargers are a talented team with a ton of upside moving forward.
While 2013 was a successful season, if the Chargers expect to take their play to the next level, they simply must improve their pass defense. The Chargers allowed 258.7 passing yards per game last season, which was the fourth most in the entire NFL. On top of that, their 96.4 passer rating against opposing quarterbacks was the fifth most in the league.
Simply put, an abysmal secondary and almost non-existent pass-rush made the Chargers one of the worst defenses against aerial attacks last season.
They started to shore up their obvious roster holes in the 2014 NFL Draft. The Chargers selected cornerback Jason Verrett in the first round (25th overall), and pass-rush specialist Jeremiah Attaochu in the second round (50th overall). Both players will likely make an immediate impact for the Chargers.
According to multiple reports, the San Diego secondary got even more help when they signed Pro Bowl CB Brandon Flowers on Tuesday. The contract for Flowers is reportedly only a one-year deal, but he will surely have an immediate impact at a position that needs help. Flowers was released by the Kansas City Chiefs last week due to salary cap issues.
While he was a Pro Bowl selection in 2013, Flowers struggled at times with the Chiefs’ press-man coverage scheme. That said, he has always been a very consistent player, with the scheme fit in Kansas City seemingly to be the main issue in 2013.
He has a solid track record of success, and should be able to turn things around with the Chargers if they put him in the right situation. On top of that, with Peyton Manning and company in their division, the Chargers will take any help they can get in the secondary.
Flowers is a very talented player who has experience covering the best wide receivers that the NFL has to offer. He will be a huge help to the Chargers as they look to improve tremendously on their secondary play from last season.