Injuries are piling up for the San Diego Chargers that could derail their offense just as Philip Rivers begins to find his groove. The win over the Cleveland Browns came at a price as both Stevie Johnson and Malcom Floyd went down with injuries. With Melvin Gordon slow to find the endzone, the Chargers could be down a few playmakers. However, the return of Antonio Gates changes that.
Gates has returned to the Chargers following a four-game suspension for violating the league's policy for performance-enhancing substances. The tight end is a key part of the team's offense and he was certainly missed over the past four games. His return comes as Floyd deals with a concussion and Johnson is suffering from hamstring injuries. Offensive coordinator Frank Reich expects Gates to make an impact immediately as the tight end prepares to play.
"Frank (Reich) had a term about rebooting, and that's kind of basically what I've done," Gates said via the team's official site. "It's like it's all new again. It's a new fresh start, and you have to come in and establish yourself all over again. Even though guys know me, have been around me and know the kind of person I am, that still doesn't discredit the fact that you have to come out and do it. So I'm back ready to reestablish who I am as a player and who I am as a person."
The return of Gates comes at a good time as San Diego prepares to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night. While Floyd and Johnson are expected to play in Week 5, their absence from practice means Gates will get in a good amount of reps with Rivers before hitting the field. Fantasy owners would be wise to pick the veteran tight end up off waivers as he remains one touchdown shy of 100 scores.
With Gates returning, the Chargers are hoping their run game can improve to better balance the offense. Gordon continues his drought of touchdowns as Danny Woodhead is proving to be the favored back as he put up 54 yards on the ground and another 84 through the air in Week 4. The struggles of Gordon have caused the Chargers to bring back Donald Brown after releasing him. Brown could see a good amount of carries as a backup to Gordon and the third-down option as Rivers trusts the veteran.