San Diego Chargers 2014 Report Card

C. Individually, the Chargers running backs are tremendous athletes. On the football field though, they seem to have a knack for injuries and short-lived success. To start off the year, both Danny Woodhead and Ryan Mathews were out by week three. Good thing they had backup Branden Oliver to replace the two young rushers. <p> </p> <p>The Chargers leading rusher this year was the rookie RB Branden Oliver with 582 yards, three touchdowns and a 3.6 yards per carry average. While Oliver’s 3.6 yards per carry average ended up being the Charger’s running downfall, Oliver performed well considering he was an undrafted rookie out of Buffalo. Ryan Mathews, despite suffering numerous injuries, had a bounce-back season with 330 yards, a 4.5 yards per carry average and three touchdowns.</p> <p>And while the Chargers did rank in the top half in terms of ball security (only five fumbles, ranked sixth-best), they still ranked third-worst in the NFL in rushing yards with 1,367 yards. And if that wasn’t bad enough, their 3.4 yards per carry average ranked second-worst in the league as well.</p> <p>In terms of potential for next season, the Bolts have a lot of decisions to make. Ryan Mathews is virtually a free agent in the off-season, leaving the Bolts with Oliver and Woodhead, two capable, but less-skilled backs. Perhaps this draft could produce a first round running back draft selection for the Chargers.</p>. RB. San Diego Chargers. SAN DIEGO CHARGERS RUNNING BACKS