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5 Reasons Why San Diego Chargers Failed To Make 2015 NFL Playoffs

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5 Reasons Why Chargers Missed 2015 Playoffs

San Diego Chargers 2015 NFL Playoffs
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After falling flat on their faces in Week 17 against a Kansas City Chiefs team playing their backup quarterback, the San Diego Chargers have plenty of places to point the finger and distribute blame for this failure of a season. It was a year that featured a hope-inducing five-game winning streak as well as a lackluster three-game losing streak punctuated by a 37-point drubbing. Here are five reasons why the Bolts failed to make the NFL Playoffs.

5. Turnover Margin

San Diego Chargers 2015 NFL Playoffs
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5. Turnover Margin

San Diego Chargers 2015 NFL Playoffs
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At minus-five, the Chargers weren’t exactly taking care of the football the way a playoff team should. This season wasn’t as bad as Philip Rivers’ 27 and 28 turnover years of 2011 and 2012, but with 16 picks and three fumbles, it fell well short of his judicious 11 interceptions and one fumble from a year ago. Finding ways to create more takeaways defensively and take batter care of the ball on offense will be vital moving forward.

4. AFC West Parity

San Diego Chargers 2015 NFL Playoffs
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4. AFC West Parity

San Diego Chargers 2015 NFL Playoffs
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The only team in the division that the Bolts were able to beat in 2014 was the Oakland Raiders, and even one of their meetings with that pitiful 3-13 bunch was just a three-point affair. One year after going a respectable 4-2 in the division, San Diego managed a lackluster 2-4 mark this time around which ultimately led to their demise. Finding a way to compete within the division is mandatory for playoff teams in the NFL.

3. Poor Pass Protection

San Diego Chargers 2015 NFL Playoffs
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3. Poor Pass Protection

San Diego Chargers 2015 NFL Playoffs
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The Chargers’ 30 sacks allowed this season ranked in the middle of the pack as far as the entire league is concerned, but that stat doesn’t fully illustrate just how much pressure Philip Rivers was under on the bulk of his dropbacks. Missing pieces along the offensive line played a key part in these protection shortcomings, but there is a clear lack of talent in the trenches that must be addressed this offseason.

2. Lack of Pass Rush

San Diego Chargers 2015 NFL Playoffs
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2. Lack of Pass Rush

San Diego Chargers 2015 NFL Playoffs
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Only three teams had fewer than the measly 22 sacks the Chargers were able to accumulate this season, and the lacking pass rush isn’t a new problem for the Bolts. That number has been declining since a 2010 campaign which saw them rack up a stellar 47 sacks. Adding more prominent pass-rushers this offseason is an absolute must in a division that contains Peyton Manning.

1. Injuries

San Diego Chargers 2015 NFL Playoffs
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1. Injuries

San Diego Chargers 2015 NFL Playoffs
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There’s no doubt the buzzword surrounding the Chargers this season has been injuries. From a revolving door at wide receiver to an offensive line that seemed to have a different configuration each and every week, this lack of continuity caught up with the Bolts throughout the season. If you need any evidence as to just how rough it was for the San Diego medical staff, five different centers snapped the ball to Philip Rivers this season.

Anthony Blake is a Senior Writer/Copy Editor for Rant Sports. You Can Follow Him on Twitter, on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.

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