LA Chargers: 4 things that need to change to make the playoffs

First change the LA Chargers need to make: Commit fewer turnovers

The Achilles’ Heel of the LA Chargers last season was turning the ball over. That is why the team had a positive point differential for most of the season yet was still one of the worst teams in the league record-wise.

The Chargers were in almost every single game they played last season and their record would have been vastly different if they did not turn the ball over in every single big moment that they had.

• A big part of the problem was Philip Rivers, who would sling passes down field into coverage and get picked off in the most inopportune times. It was not all on Rivers, though, as pressure on the pocket oftentimes led to forced throws, leading to interceptions.

Let’s break down the interceptions that lost the Chargers the game last season.

• Week 2 at Detroit Lions:

Rivers throws an interception in the endzone to Darius Slay with 1:10 on the clock. The Chargers were trailing by three and were Detroit’s 28.

• Week 6 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

After getting terrorized early on by the Pittsburgh pass-rush and falling into a 24-0 hole, the Chargers storm back and have a chance to drive downfield down seven with a minute remaining. Rivers decides to just throw four verticals and gets his second-down pass intercepted.

• Week 10 at Oakland Raiders:

Down by two, Rivers throws an interception on fourth down with 27 seconds remaining.

• Week 11 vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Rivers throws an interception (pictured above) in the endzone on a pass targeted for Austin Ekeler. The Chargers trailed by seven on Kansas City’s 14 with 24 seconds remaining.

This is also not including Rivers’ fumble against the Houston Texans that allowed them to go up two scores and Melvin Gordon’s goalline fumble that should have won the game against the Tennessee Titans.

This is why some Charger fans are very high on Tyrod Taylor: he does not turn the ball over often.