Veterans vow to keep Chargers fighting to bitter end

SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego Chargers return from their bye week, embarking on a seven-game sprint to the finish of the regular season with their 2-7 record preventing them from waging any real meaningful games outside of playing the spoiler role.

San Diego (2-7) welcomes the Kansas City Chiefs (4-5) to Qualcomm Stadium on Sunday, as it also resumes play in the AFC West. Although that landscape hasn't been forgiving, with the last-place Chargers losing five of their last seven against division foes.

Then again, that distinction almost seems tame considering the Chargers, overall, have lost five straight games, six of seven and 10 of 13.

But the Chargers are promising to rescue this sinking ship. And if this really is the team's last season in San Diego, it will go out with head held high.

Although, being in such a pickle is uncharted territory for many Chargers.

"I don't want anybody to feel sorry for us or feel sorry for me," quarterback Philip Rivers said. "We're not the first team ever to be 2-7 and we won't be the last. It's the first time for some of us to have to deal with it, but there have been a lot of quarterbacks and players on football teams that have been 2-7.

"How we handle this will be telling of the guys we have, see who we think we have and see if we have those guys."

Obviously Rivers, safety Eric Weddle and tight end Antonio Gates are among the veterans who need to show the way.

But with the Chargers being so young and short of service time, there's no guarantee a team that is struggling won't continue to do so.

But maybe the bye helped -- it couldn't have hurt.

"You get a chance mentally to get away and spend time with your family and try to clear the last month of what we went through," Gates said. "You reload and refresh and be ready to go for the regular season."

It's a season, so far, that has been derailed by injuries for the Chargers.

"It's the nature of this league," Gates said. "That is why you accumulate as many players as you can. But that is what makes it tough, it's about staying healthy. Unfortunately is just hasn't fell our way this season."

A season which is over, from the outside looking in. Not so, Gates said, if you flip the perspective.

"We're not eliminated from a numbers standpoint, but we basically backed ourself into the wall," Gates said.

"But there is still a will. We just have got to fight, and claw and scratch to try and get out."

SERIES HISTORY: 107th regular-season meeting. The Chargers lead the series, 54-51-1. The Chargers have had their way of late with the Chiefs in San Diego, winning four of the past six after sweeping the season-series in 2012 and 2013. The teams have met just once in the playoffs, with the Chargers prevailing in the 1992 wild card game, 17-0. Marion Butts had a career-long touchdown run of 54 yards in the first shutout in wild card history. It was the Chargers' first playoff win since the 1982 season.

MATCHUPS TO WATCH:

-- The Chargers pass protection, with a front line in flux vs. a Chiefs pass rush which includes Justin Houston and Tamba Hali.

Maybe the bye gets some of the big boys healthy, as the Chargers would welcome the return of two starters in left tackle King Dunlap and left guard Orlando Franklin. San Diego has a huge challenge in slowing Houston, who leads all 3-4 linebackers with 8.0 sacks and 37 quarterback hurries this season.

Right tackle Joe Barksdale would draw Houston and it was Barksdale who gave up two late sacks which derailed the Chargers' comeback in their recent loss to the Bears. Houston will square up against Dunlap -- the Chargers hope. If Dunlap's bum ankle keeps him from playing, Houston could have a big day against backup Chris Hairston. That's quite a drop off, but it would be Hairston's fifth start of the season as Dunlap has been in and out of the lineup.

-- The Chargers passing game, which is down to second-string receivers vs. a Chiefs secondary which has shown promise.

One name will be recognizable among the Chargers receivers on Sunday, and that will be slot receiver Stevie Johnson. Otherwise it's guys looking to make their mark in Dontrelle Inman and Javontee Herndon. Injuries have taken away Keenan Allen and Malcom Floyd, so it will be green receivers on the other end of Philip Rivers throws.

The pass-catchers need to get open quickly with the Chiefs' pass rush and they'll be asked to do some against cornerbacks Marcus Perez and Sean Smith. Peters is a rookie, but his four interceptions are tied for the NFL lead among cornerbacks. Smith has played solidly since missing three games after being charged with driving under the influence. But what aides both the corners is the tenacious Chiefs pass rush.