Eric D. Williams 9y

Ryan Mathews gives Chargers home run hitter just in time

SAN DIEGO -- Philip Rivers sees it after he hands the ball off to Ryan Mathews -- the real possibility that whenever his talented teammate touches the ball, he can score from anywhere on the field.

"You need a home run sometimes," Rivers said. "A 30-yard run or whatever it was. He ran so hard."

Mathews finished with 105 yards on 12 carries, averaging a robust 8.8 yards per carry, a career high for a game, in the San Diego Chargers' 27-24 win over the St. Louis Rams. It's no surprise that with the return of Mathews, the Chargers magically can run the football again after languishing most of the season in the cellar of the NFL in yards per carry.

Having Mathews back in the fold gives San Diego's offense the balance the team craves, at a time when the Chargers need it most -- making a final push toward a second straight postseason run. At 7-4, the Chargers are right in the thick of the AFC West Division race, a game back of the Denver Broncos (8-3) and tied with the Kansas City Chiefs (7-4).

"When we need a first down or a big run, he always delivers for us," Chargers cornerback Brandon Flowers said. "He's so humble, he doesn't hardly care if he gets noticed or not. It's great having him on the team. We have a lot of guys on the team that don't care about notoriety, and that can take us a long way."

Establishing balance on offense is critical for San Diego's offense moving forward. Rivers said his team's offense is at its best when the Chargers are going no-huddle, controlling tempo by mixing the pass and run, converting third downs and getting into the end zone.

The Chargers finished with 128 yards rushing as a team on 22 carries. But up 27-17 with just over eight minutes left, San Diego struggled to grind out a win. The Chargers ran just three times in the final quarter. San Diego is 5-0 in games this season in which it rushed at least 22 times and totaled at least 101 rushing yards.

Mathews suffered a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter but returned to help close things out.

"This was a fun game," Mathews said. "The intensity was really high. The Rams brought a tough game. Their defense is tough. I think we did a great job of keeping our composure and getting a win."

Mathews' bruising running style also provides extra fuel for a banged-up offensive line that had trouble getting a push in the run game. On Mathews' 32-yard touchdown run, right tackle D.J. Fluker could be seen racing alongside Mathews to get an extra block.

"I was excited to see him break loose," Fluker said. "You saw me high-stepping, because I knew he was gone. To have him back healthy, and to be able to run and do the things he's used to doing is great."

Rookie Chris Watt, the fourth starting center for the Chargers this season, said Mathews gives the guys up front more motivation to hold on to blocks longer because they know he can break free for big gains on any play.

"You know if you give him a little opening and stay on your block a little longer, he's going to get some big yardage for you," Watt said.

Mathews' running style is infectious. It's something that spreads throughout the entire offense and the defense, adding fuel to another potential postseason run.

"I told them, let's just push piles," Mathews said. "If we got a couple defenders on me, then let's just push the pile forward. And they've been doing it. And that's very humbling that they take what I say to heart, and they do it. All the credit goes to them."

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