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The San Diego Chargers signed a pass-rusher in its attempt to bolster their roster after losing 2012 first-round pick Melvin Ingram for the season with a torn ACL.

No, the team didn’t add Dwight Freeney. Not yet, at least.

The Chargers announced they signed Thomas Keiser. The Stanford product spent the past two seasons in Carolina. He played a total of 12 games. His season was cut short after four games last year.

Keiser does have some pass-rushing ability. He had four sacks in eight games as a rookie. So, there is potential there. Keiser will have a chance to earn a roster spot to provide depth.

Still, the team has a need for a reliable replacement for Ingram. Freeney visited Wednesday and Thursday, and the team remains interested in him.

Melvin Ingram is keeping his spirits up after recently tearing his ACL in a non-contact drill.

The Chargers linebacker, who will miss the 2013 season, has vowed to come back. One of the reasons why Ingram is so confident he will return is because he has already done so once in his football career.

The Chargers’ 2012 first-round pick saw his sophomore season at South Carolina end before it started. He missed the 2008 season after breaking his foot in the spring. He returned in 2009 and had three productive seasons at South Carolina. I think that experience will help Ingram get through this recovery. He knows success can be had after a lost season.

Meanwhile, former first-round pick Larry English believes he can help make up for the loss of Ingram. English has accomplished little in four seasons in the NFL.

Tom Telesco is not wasting any time.

Hours after losing key pass-rusher Melvin Ingram for the 2013 season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered in a non-contact drill, the San Diego Chargers general manager is bringing in Dwight Freeney in for a visit Wednesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting. Telesco was with the Colts organization when Indianapolis drafted Freeney in 2002 and the two were together there through last season.

This isn’t a meet-and-greet. The Chargers are bringing Freeney in because Telesco is ready to make a move.

Freeney would be the team’s best and likely its most-used outside edge rusher. That was going to be the role for Ingram, the team’s No. 1 pick in 2012. Shaun Phillips and Antwan Barnes both left in free agency.

At age 33, Freeney is best suited to be a rotational player; he wasn't at his best in the 3-4 defenses the Colts used last season. The Chargers also use a 3-4 defense. But this is a desperate time for San Diego, and Freeney hasn’t gotten a lot of interest.

I expect the two sides to work hard to get a deal done. The Chargers have to be careful not to overpay Freeney, because they also need help at offensive tackle and are talking to Winston Justice and Max Starks.

The San Diego Chargers received terrible news Tuesday in their second day of organized non-contact drills.

The team announced 2012 first-round pick Melvin Ingram has a torn ACL.

The Chargers were counting on Ingram to provide a strong pass rush. He had a slow start to his rookie season, but he showed promise late. The team saw veteran edge rushers Shaun Phillips and Antwan Barnes leave in free agency.

Ingram was expected to be the primary pass-rusher from the edge. Defensive linemen Kendall Reyes and Corey Liuget provide good pass-rush burst from the line, but the Chargers need an outside presence. Former first-round pick Larry English in on the roster, but he has shown he can’t be counted on. The Chargers drafted Tourek Williams in the late rounds last month. His route to the field may be expedited with Ingram’s injuries.

I’d think the Chargers would seriously consider pursuing veteran Dwight Freeney. He was in Indianapolis with new San Diego general manager Tom Telesco. Veteran John Abraham is also out there.

With Ingram out for the year, the Chargers will have to find help somewhere.

This will be a tough setback for a young player. His career will certainly be salvageable, but it will be such a waste to lose his second NFL season in May.

In other AFC West news:

• The Chiefs claimed offensive lineman Matt Reynolds from the Eagles and cornerback Buddy Jackson from the Giants. Reynolds was coached by new Kansas City coach Andy Reid last season.
• The Bills claimed tight end Mickey Shuler. He was cut by the Raiders.

Had the NFL draft been held the day after Manti Te'o and Notre Dame were handled in the national championship game by Alabama, the inside linebacker would have been considered a steal if he was a top-10 pick.

After all, this is a player who was considered the possible No. 1 overall pick last December -- one of the most decorated, praised players in the country during the 2012 season.

Fast-forward to the present, and the idea that Te’o lasted until the No. 38 pick is stunning. The Chargers sent the 45th and 110th choices to Arizona to move up and rock the draft with this selection.

“Great pick,” San Diego safety and leader Eric Weddle said by phone moments after the Chargers' move. “We got better. He is going to help us win games. I like this pick 1,000 percent.”

Te’o became a polarizing figure in January when the bizarre hoax involving a dead fake girlfriend became public. Te’o has said he had nothing to do with the Internet scheme, and the person behind the elaborate ploy has backed up Te’o’s claims.

Fair or not, the hoax has defined Te’o. His once-sterling character has come into question, and there is no doubt it hurt his draft status.

Of course, the title game and a slow 40-yard dash at the NFL combine didn’t help his cause. But let’s face it, if the hoax hadn't happened, Te’o would have gotten the benefit of the doubt on those issues -- particularly since he generated great tape throughout his college career, had great character and improved his speed at Notre Dame's pro day.

With Te’o, it’s all about the hoax.

That will stop, Weddle said. Indeed, Weddle brought up the issue himself.

"I could care less about that other stuff," Weddle said. “I’m sure everyone will think that way here.”

It has been said that Te’o, the butt of national jokes the past few months, will face his harshest critics in his NFL locker room. Weddle said that won’t be a problem in San Diego.

“If he wants to talk about it, we’ll listen,” Weddle said. “But it’s not going to be a problem here.”

I think Te’o is going to a perfect situation for him to achieve some normalcy. The Chargers have good leadership in Weddle, quarterback Philip Rivers, tight end Antonio Gates, center Nick Hardwick and linebacker Jarret Johnson. Indeed, Te'o told San Diego reporters Friday evening, Rivers had already called to welcome him to the team. This is a strong, business-oriented locker room. Te’o will be treated well.

Also, the team’s brass knows how to deal with off-field issues. New San Diego coach Mike McCoy was at the center of Tebow-mania while with Denver. Nothing can match that. New San Diego general manager Tom Telesco was in Indianapolis last season during coach Chuck Pagano’s public fight against cancer.

Distractions will not be a problem.

I also think Te’o will find friendly confines in the city. San Diego has a thriving Polynesian community, and one of the team’s greatest players, late linebacker Junior Seau, was Polynesian. Te’o will be welcomed with open arms. San Diego is not far, in relative terms, from Te’o’s native Hawaii, so that will raise his comfort level, too.

Plus, even though it is not so far from Hollywood, San Diego is laid back, and there isn’t a huge media presence around the team.

Sure, the team and Te’o will probably have to deal with the curiosity of it all early in camp, but that will go away pretty quickly.

Plus, in my opinion, the hoax is over. What else can come of it? Whether he was involved or not, Te’o faced public humiliation, he saw his NFL stock drop and now the recovery begins. He can become a linebacker again.

Te’o is being brought to San Diego to play football, and it’s a good fit.

San Diego is building a strong, young defense, and Te’o should be a nice piece in a linebacking corps that includes Johnson, Donald Butler and 2012 first-round pick Melvin Ingram. Add Te’o to a strong, young line and this is an intriguing group. Yes, Te’o has limitations in coverage, but San Diego will be versatile enough to highlight him on first and second downs, and he will be able to play to his strengths.

It’s been a trying three months for Te’o, but his NFL career is starting on the right track even though it’s from a draft slot several picks lower than expected.

» NFC Eight in the Box: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Who is one potential breakout player for each AFC West team in 2013?

Denver Broncos: Ronnie Hillman. Hillman showed flashes as a rookie but has work to do with the finer points of the game, such as pass protection. This offseason -- along with the tutelage of Peyton Manning -- should help quite a bit. Denver has other bigger options in its backfield and could draft another running back, and Hillman might not be best suited to be an every-down back. But he has a dynamic and explosive running style and big-play ability as a runner and receiver. Also, with all the 11-personnel schemes (one RB/one TE) that the Broncos will use with Wes Welker, Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas rarely leaving the field, Denver’s running game should see plenty of open space when used. The free-agent addition of Louis Vasquez also should help. Hillman won’t get 20-25 touches per game, but look for him to maximize the touches he gets.

Kansas City Chiefs: Eric Berry. Berry can be great but has yet to truly break out. He was a phenomenal safety prospect when he entered the league in 2010, but injuries derailed his second season. In fact, I think his knee injury hindered him for the first half of 2012 -- maybe even longer. Berry started to look like the player he was in college during the final six to eight games last year. That is extremely encouraging. And with a new attitude in Kansas City and a superior roster, Berry should be ready to flat-out explode in 2013 and soon be among the best safeties in the NFL.

Oakland Raiders: Stefen Wisniewski. There really isn’t much to pick from on Oakland’s roster in terms of possible breakout players, but Wisniewski has been solid at guard in his first two seasons. He isn’t the biggest or most powerful interior offensive lineman around, but he is agile, and his technique surpasses his NFL experience. Wisniewski is already very good in pass protection, which usually takes longer to develop than run-blocking skills. And with the Raiders likely changing from a zone- to a more of a man-blocking scheme, Wisniewski’s run-blocking could catch up to his abilities in protection. There aren’t many bright spots for the Raiders, but Wisniewski is one of them.

San Diego Chargers: Melvin Ingram. I was extremely high on Ingram a year ago as a draft prospect. While he didn’t set the league on fire as a rookie, I still expect him to develop into one of the better 3-4 outside linebackers in the league. As expected, Ingram has a lot of work to do as a coverage player, but San Diego would be wise to have this explosive playmaker coming forward on the majority of snaps. And with Shaun Phillips unlikely to be back, Ingram is now in line for many more snaps -- both in the base defense and in sub packages, where he has the skill set to be moved all over the defensive front. San Diego has its share of problems, but with young front-seven players such as Ingram, Donald Butler, Kendall Reyes and Corey Liuget (who really broke out last season), the Chargers’ defense has quite a bit to build upon.

It was understood throughout the Chargers franchise: To end a disheartening two-year playoff drought and to keep the Norv Turner program afloat in San Diego, the defensive performance had to improve in 2012.

“We all knew it,” standout Chargers safety Eric Weddle said. “It was no secret.”

The focus on defensive improvement began when the Chargers fired defensive coordinator Greg Manusky shortly after the 2011 season -- Manusky's only one in that role -- and promptly replaced him with linebackers coach John Pagano. Then the Chargers spent a great number of their free-agency dollars on the defensive side of the ball and concentrated on defense in the April draft, too.

“Then, it was up to us,” Weddle said. “We knew the focus and we knew the commitment. Now, it’s our turn to go make it work on the field.”

Thus far, the Chargers’ defense has been much improved. Most important, it has developed an identity -- physical and opportunistic. It is a big reason why the Chargers are 3-2 and leading the AFC West going into a pivotal “Monday Night Football” game against second-place Denver (2-3) on ESPN.

San Diego’s defense wilted late against New Orleans and Drew Brees in Week 5, and it must find a way to neutralize a red-hot Peyton Manning. San Diego goes into the game confident its defense can contain Manning, who has thrown six touchdown passes in his past two games and hasn’t thrown an interception in the last 15 quarters.

In the past couple of years, the Chargers might not have been as confident facing such a hot quarterback. But because of the focus on bringing in steady, capable and accountable players, along with the strict and aggressive Pagano running the show, the Chargers now welcome such a challenge.

“We’re improving and we still have a long way to go,” Pagano said recently. “We’re creating an identity right now and we’re still building that identity as a defense. And when you play certain games, there are going to be good times and bad times. The biggest key for us is playing with effort and the turnovers that we created, those were guys stripping the ball, putting their helmet on the football and going and getting the ball when it’s in the air. That shows the progress of what we’re trying to build here. The way our guys attack the football is something to be proud of.”

The high point for the Chargers’ defensive thus far this season came in a 37-20 Week 4 victory at Kansas City. The Chargers forced six turnovers, including three in the first quarter. Although the Chargers haven’t been quite that spectacular defensively all season, their statistics show a steady improvement.

In 2011, the Chargers were dead last in the NFL in third-down defense, allowing opponents to convert 49.2 percent of the time -- the worst percentage in the NFL since 1995. This year, San Diego is allowing a 42.9 percent conversion rate, which is 23rd in the NFL.

The improvement is gaudier in other areas. According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Chargers are allowing just 3.74 yards per rush, 10th in the NFL. The Chargers are allowing 5.35 yards per play, 15th in the league and 10 spots better than last season's defense. The Chargers are allowing 74.0 yards on the ground this season, fifth in the NFL and up from 20th last season. They are 11th in the NFL in points allowed (20.4); last season, they were 22nd.

Weddle, who is having an outstanding season and is developing into one of the best safeties in the NFL, credits attention to detail for the defense's overall improvement.

“We spend a lot of preparation time,” Weddle said. “Guys want to prove it. Guys get to work early and stay late. Guys study how offenses attack situations. Sure, plays will break down here and there, but you will never question the effort and preparation of guys on this defense.”

This group has a chance to be very good for a very long time. The Chargers have struck gold with the No. 18 overall pick in the past two drafts. Defensive end Corey Liuget, a first-round pick in 2011, has been a monster in recent games. He is extremely active and physical. Pass-rusher Melvin Ingram, this year’s first Chargers pick, looks like one of the league’s top young pass-rushers. Inside linebacker Donald Butler has been tremendous as well.

“I really like this defense,” said Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. “I really like the youth and the overall depth in the front seven. They can just keep rotating guys in throughout their defensive line with different skill sets ... makes it tough to play against.”

That was the whole idea of the defensive emphasis of 2012.

“We have to do what it takes to get to the playoffs,” Weddle said. “That’s what this is all about.”

They can take a major step toward the playoffs with a strong defensive effort against Manning.

Melvin Ingram's hit on Drew Brees on Sunday night cost the San Diego Chargers.

On Friday, it cost Ingram. The NFL said it fined the rookie pass-rusher $15,750 for roughing the passer. He struck Brees in the head and neck area.

Ingram was penalized 15 yards on a play that wiped out an interception return for a touchdown that would have given the Chargers a 31-14 lead over the Saints in the second half. The Saints caught fire after the penalty and rallied to win, 31-24.

In other AFC West news:

Kansas City coach Romeo Crennel said Friday that safety Kendrick Lewis will play for the first time this season Sunday at Tampa Bay. He injured his shoulder in the preseason. Receiver Jon Baldwin (hamstring) is questionable. As expected, running back Peyton Hillis (ankle) and defensive end Glenn Dorsey (calf) will not play Sunday. They could return Oct. 28 at home against Oakland. The Chiefs have a bye next week.

Denver left tackle Ryan Clady tweaked his hamstring this week and he did not practice Thursday. He will be monitored going into Monday night’s game at San Diego. Denver receiver Demaryius Thomas (hip) and linebacker Keith Brooking (concussion) practiced fully Friday after they were both limited Thursday.

For San Diego, left tackle Jared Gaither (groin) did not practice for the second straight day with a groin injury. Receiver Eddie Royal (hamstring) did not practice Friday after being limited Thursday and receiver Malcom Floyd (groin) was limited.

For Oakland, tight end Richard Gordon (hamstring) has been ruled out of the game at Atlanta on Sunday and defensive tackle Tommy Kelly (foot) is questionable.

A look at the San Diego Chargers' heart-breaking 31-24 loss to the New Orleans Saints:

What it means: The Chargers blew a golden opportunity to take control of the AFC West. The Chargers fell to 3-2 on a day the other two teams in the AFC West that played (Oakland had a bye) lost.

Momentum swinger: The Chargers were dominating this game and it looked like it was taking a 31-14 lead in the third quarter on an interception return for a score. However, rookie Melvin Ingram was called for roughing the passer on what was a questionable call. The Saints took off after that penalty and ended up scoring 17 unanswered points.

Two tough turnovers: San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers played well, but an interception on a tipped pass and a fumble as the Chargers desperately tried to score on the final drive of the game sullied an otherwise good night for him. This game will be remembered for Ingram’s game-changing penalty.

Mathews’ game: San Diego running back Ryan Mathews had 80 yards on 12 carries, including a spectacular 13-yard touchdown run as he continued to show he is on his way to becoming a productive player.

Meachem breaks out: Former Saints receiver Robert Meachem had his breakout game as a Charger. He had two touchdowns after being nearly invisible in the first quarter of the season.

Big night for former Charger: New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees, who spent his first five NFL season with the Chargers, broke the NFL record for consecutive games with a touchdown pass with 48. He had shared the mark with Johnny Unitas.

What’s next: The Chargers have a pivotal AFC West game against visiting Denver, 2-3, on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football.”

The first quarter of the AFC West season is complete. Let’s look at some key developments:

Story of the quarter: Peyton Manning's health. It has been a story for more than a year, and the AFC West has revolved around Manning’s surgically repaired neck since he signed with the Broncos in March. Through four games, Manning has looked good and he is getting better. He had one bad quarter -- Week 2 at Atlanta, when he threw three interceptions in the first 15 minutes. But the picks were not arm- or injury-related; Manning just made some rare bad decisions. Manning, 36, might not be playing like he did when he was 30, but he is still good enough to win.

MVP of the quarter: Really, no player has stood head-and-shoulders above anyone else. I am tempted to go with Manning, but I think I will give it to San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers. His team is alone in first place in the division at 3-1 and he is the Chargers’ best player. Rivers' numbers aren’t as gaudy as Manning's, and the San Diego offense is still finding itself. But Rivers has been very good -- and he has been efficient. He is making way better decisions than he did a year ago. The Chargers are winning and their quarterback is guiding them.

Defensive player of the quarter: I’m going to give it to San Diego safety Eric Weddle. Watch the Chargers play and talk to scouts, and Weddle’s name comes up often. He has been all over the field in the season's first quarter. He is truly becoming an elite safety. San Diego’s defense is much improved (linebacker Donald Butler has been unreal as well) and the ball-hawking Weddle is a big reason why.

Rookie of the quarter: There are solid options here and I'm sure some of them will develop nicely through the season. For the first quarter, I’m giving the nod to Denver defensive end Derek Wolfe. The second-round pick has been a stalwart on an improved line. He is making an impact and the game does not appear to be too big for the Cincinnati product. I can see San Diego pass-rusher Melvin Ingram coming on strong, but Wolfe has been outstanding to start the season.

Coach of the quarter: Norv Turner. His team is in first place. The Chargers look improved in areas they needed to improve, and the team looks very well organized, united and focused. This is a big year for Turner. He will likely be fired if the Chargers don’t make the playoffs. He is showing he wants to fight for his job.

Disappointment of the quarter (team): Kansas City. The Chiefs added several impressive pieces in the offseason and looked primed to make strides on the field. They were a popular choice to win the division, including by me, who chose them to win the AFC West, However, Kansas City is 1-3 and has looked awful in all three of its defeats. This team is talented enough to turn around its season, but its start is alarming.

Disappointment of the quarter (player): Oakland running back Darren McFadden. The Raiders have not responded well to moving from a power rushing attack to a zone-blocking scheme under new offensive coordinator Greg Knapp. McFadden was in Knapp’s system as a rookie and was better the past two years in a power attack. I’m sure McFadden’s issues are not all his fault, but his statistics are not pretty for a back who many thought would vie for 2,000 yards rushing this season. McFadden has 201 yards on 57 carries. Take away a 64-yard run and McFadden’s production has been terrible. Again, it’s not all on him, but something needs to change. McFadden is too talented for this lack of production to linger.

Biggest unanswered question of the quarter: Matt Cassel's future. After a 1-3 start and a three-interception performance against San Diego in Week 4, Chiefs fans are calling for Cassel to be replaced. I think the main reason why the team is reluctant to make a change is there is not a reasonable in-house alternative. If the Chiefs don’t make the playoffs, Cassel very likely will be replaced in the offseason, very likely by a first-round pick. But will he make it through the season without Brady Quinn or Ricky Stanzi taking his job?

Fearless prediction for the second quarter: Manning will continue to get better in a Denver uniform. He has long said he is still a work in progress physically and with the Denver offense. He has made strides and I think we will see an improved comfort level between Manning and his teammates by the end of the first half of the season.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 2:

Line makeup: We came into the week thinking Colts newcomer Trai Essex could take over for Winston Justice at right tackle, but Justice seems to have bounced back from the concussion he suffered Sunday in Chicago. He’s practicing and it’s left guard Joe Reitz who remains a question. Seth Olsen is not a quality replacement, and Essex is versatile enough to play either guard or tackle spot. Perhaps he replaces Olsen rather than Justice? The No. 1 question on the offensive line will be how left tackle Anthony Castonzo can do against end Jared Allen, who was largely held in check last week by Jacksonville’s Eugene Monroe.

Line makeup, II: The Jaguars are banged up in a big way on the offensive line. Starting right tackle Cameron Bradfield and starting left guard Eben Britton could both miss the game with ankle injuries, which would mean Guy Whimper or waiver claim Troy Kropog at right tackle and undrafted rookie Mike Brewster at left guard. That’s hardly an ideal scenario against the Texans’ swarming front. It looks like a big mismatch. But often what looks like a big mismatch in a divisional game during the preparation week doesn’t turn out to be the major issue.

Struggling in Cali: The Titans have lost eight in a row against the Chargers, dating all the way to 1993. San Diego’s 3-4 front has given Tennessee problems in recent years, and first-round draft pick Melvin Ingram, an outside linebacker, is a part of packages that will be another complicated thing for Jake Locker to sort through. The quarterback will be playing with a banged-up left (non-throwing) shoulder. But he will be throwing against a banged-up secondary too, so if he can get protection he may be able to find plays downfield with Kenny Britt back in the lineup.

Playing stout: The Colts allowed 3.5 yards a carry in their season-opening loss to the Bears. That wasn’t as bad as some of us anticipated it could be. But Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson will be a different level of challenge. He found the end zone twice in his first game back with a reconstructed knee in the Vikings' win over Jacksonville. The Colts remains susceptible to the run and are going to get tested. If and when they can get the Vikings into tough passing downs, will Dwight Freeney be available to chase Christian Ponder? If his ankle injury holds him out, the Colts are then deficient in that area as well, which would be bad news.

Improvement: Good teams respond to week-to-week problems. Texans coach Gary Kubiak wasn’t pleased with the way his team ran the ball and the way it performed on special teams, even though it posted a 20-point win over Miami in the opener. His players should respond to points of emphasis and show improvement in those areas. Jacksonville’s big point of emphasis has been better tackling, and it will need to wrap up the likes of Arian Foster and Andre Johnson to have a chance in this game. Outside linebacker Daryl Smith would be a boon, but he looks unlikely to make it back from a groin/abdomen injury. If corner Derek Cox is back from his hamstring problem, coverage should be a strong suit.

In our NFL previews, the consensus is the Denver Broncos will win the AFC West.

However, “Monday Night Football” analyst Jon Gruden is not so sure. In a conference call with media members, Gruden was asked what his expectations for the Peyton Manning-led Broncos are in 2012. Gruden isn’t sold that Manning and the Broncos will be great.

“I think the realistic expectation is for Peyton Manning to be a big factor in the Broncos winning the AFC West and having a double digit win season, because that's all he's done for the last 10 or 12 years as a starting quarterback,” Gruden said. “But, as I look at it, I hate to be a devil's advocate; I think the schedule is tough. The battery of Tom Moore, Jeff Saturday, Howard Mudd, the men that trained him and helped develop him and put that offense in for him are no longer with him. I think he's doing a lot of things on his own from installing the offense to calling the offense to executing the offense. He's going to have to do it with a very short period of time and a lot of young players around him.

“So I think it's going to be a little bit more of a struggle than people remember. But I do think physically he's back, he's quick, he looks natural to me behind the center. I think a realistic expectation is 8-8 if you ask me.”

Meanwhile, Gruden, later in the convenience call, Gruden talked up San Diego first-round pick, pass-rusher Melvin Ingram.

Here are Gruden’s thoughts on Ingram: “Well, I loved Melvin Ingram at South Carolina because he did it from a lot of different alignments. He rushed over the center. He rushed over the guard. He rushed it right end and left end, and I think that's going to really help him well.”

A look at the Chargers 12-10 win at Minnesota on Friday night:

This was the Chargers’ third preseason game, which is supposed to be the game in which the starters play extensively. That wasn’t the case for the Chargers.

Because the offensive line was banged up, the Chargers held out quarterback Philip Rivers as a precaution. Tight end Antonio Gates, who has been dealing with injuries for the past four years, was also a healthy scratch. In all, the Chargers played without six offensive starters.

And it looked like it.

Backup quarterback Charlie Whitehurst and his makeshift line had their issues against the Vikings’ front-line players.

Yes, the Chargers lost some valuable experience because of the injuries, but keeping Rivers out of harm’s way was the smart move, especially considering San Diego has already lost starting running back Ryan Mathews (broken clavicle) and No. 3 receiver Vincent Brown (broken ankle).

• U-T San Diego reports San Diego top pick Melvin Ingram has a bruised tight. Unless there is more to it, I’d think Ingram would have a good chance to play in Week 1 in 17 days.
• Jackie Battle started at running back and perhaps he will be the first of a committee to play if Mathews isn’t ready to face Oakland in Week 1.
• It looks like Nate Kaeding is going to hold off Nick Novak in the kicking competition unless the Chargers pull a surprise. Kaeding had field goals of 50 and 54 yards Friday night. If he is out of luck in San Diego, Novak is working to get a job somewhere as he nailed a 45-yarder with four seconds to go to give the Chargers the win.
• San Diego’s defense is much improved and it is getting turnovers. The Chargers have 10 takeaways in three games.
• Linebacker Larry English, the No. 16 overall pick in 2009, had his second sack of the preseason.
• Rookie offensive linemen, left tackle Mike Harris and center David Molk struggled pretty badly. If left tackle Jared Gaither and center Nick Hardwick aren’t back by week 1, the Chargers could have issues. The team is hopeful both will be back soon.
• Receiver/returner Micheal Spurlock continues to look good and he is a good bet to make the 53-man roster.

Wendi Nix and Marcellus Wiley discuss the team to beat in the AFC West, Adam Schefter reports on Jason Witten's injury, and the NFL32 crew discusses the biggest concerns for the Raiders.

A look at the Chargers’ 28-20 home victory over Dallas on Saturday night:

First, some bad, bad news:

Second-year receiver Vincent Brown suffered a broken left ankle. U-T San Diego reports that he will have surgery and will miss at least eight weeks. I wouldn’t be surprised if the injury takes even more time to heal. What a shame.

Brown looked great this summer and was going to be the Chargers’ No. 3 receiver. This injury means Eddie Royal, who has been hurt during camp, must step up to help this receiving crew.

OK, I know you will ask: Does Brown's injury mean the Chargers could be in on Plaxico Burress or Chad Johnson? Well, it would be unlike San Diego general manager A.J. Smith to add either player, but there is a hole at the position.

This is truly a bad loss for San Diego, which is without starting running back Ryan Mathews for a month or so after he suffered a shoulder injury last week. The Chargers have been ravaged by injuries the past three years and the 2012 season hasn’t started any differently.

The Chargers worked on building depth this offseason; it is paying off in the preseason. The Chargers’ backups led a comeback Saturday night and have looked good in both preseason games.

That is all well and fine, but San Diego’s first-team offense was sloppy again. All 15 of Philip Rivers’ passes were caught Saturday night. But two of them were caught by Cowboys.

Rivers has thrown three interceptions in two preseason games. He was picked off 20 times last season. Rivers has looked really good in the preseason, but interceptions just can’t happen -- he must improve in this area.

Rookie defenders Melvin Ingram and Kendall Reyes continued to make an impact. These guys are going to be fun to watch.

Backup cornerback Shareece Wright had an interception with a long return. He has looked good this summer.