INDIANAPOLIS – The Chargers led the NFL in total offense last season despite a myriad of injuries and missed games at tight end, receiver and offensive line.
Many credit that production to Pro Bowl quarterback 
The run offense, a major focus during last offseason, improved by 24.2 yards per game and 0.7 yards per carry.
So what will Turner focus on improving this year?
“We want to see if we can make that same jump (in the running game),” Turner said. “You also look at the red zone. We were real good through a stretch of the season, but we had a couple periods where we weren’t as good as you’d like to be.”
San Diego surged from 31st in the NFL to 15th in rushing yards per game last season. Young backs
The Chargers crossed the goal line 33 times in 59 possessions that reached the opponent’s 20-yard line. That placed them 12th, just outside the top one-third in the NFL, but Turner wants to be among the best next season. San Diego scored touchdowns on 4-of-10 red zone possessions in its first three road games, all losses, and went 1-of-3 in defeats to Oakland and Cincinnati late in the year.
Developing players on the roster with untapped potential also could drive improvement.
“That would be a guy like (receiver Seyi) Ajirotutu. He really wasn’t exposed much in training camp because he wasn’t a guy that you thought would play,” Turner said. “But when he got a chance to play he showed what he can do. A guy like him, we can find some things he can help us with and he can add to what we do on offense.”
The 2011 roster is uncertain but there may be enough players returning from the group that gained 395.6 yards per game last year to provide the Chargers with the luxury of bringing any offensive draft picks along slowly.
“That’s what you always hope for, but our circumstance the last two years has proven the opposite. If you come in, you better be ready to play,” Turner said, crediting the coaching staff for preparing
Turner spoke from a hotel lobby couch in a room filled with draft prospects, NFL coaches and scouts, many of whom would like to play within his system or duplicate its success. When looking for players, it’s no secret he prefers tall receivers (
“Certainly when we drafted Ryan (Mathews) a year ago we had certain things in mind in terms of the type of runner we wanted,” Turner said. “But the most important thing is our system is flexible enough that we can adapt it to the guys we have. I think that’s why it’s been such a successful system for such a long time.”
PLAYERS HOST CHARITY EVENTS:
English served as honorary chair for San Diego’s inaugural Fight For Air Climb benefitting the American Lung Association.
The event, which took place Sunday at the Omni hotel, raised more than $50,000 for lung disease research and awareness. Individuals walked or ran up more than 1,000 steps to reach the 31st floor. The cause is close to English, who has asthma.
Scifres and New Orleans Saints kicker John Carney hosted the second annual Break’n the Walls of Jericho DINNER WITH THE PROS on Feb. 25 at the Pamplemousse Grille in Solana Beach.
Scifres, along with several other current and former NFL players, wore waiter uniforms and served guests a gourmet meal. The event also included a cocktail reception and live auction to raise money for Southern California non-profits that support youth education and wellness.
