SAN DIEGO -- Traditionally, when the calendar turns to December, Philip Rivers cranks it up a notch.

Since taking over as quarterback of the San Diego Chargers in 2006, Rivers has helped lead them to a 35-13 record in games played in December and January.

Now, that trend did not hold true last season, as the Chargers finished 1-4 down the stretch on the way to a disappointing 4-12 record.

Rivers completed 61 percent of his passes for 1,281 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions during that stretch. He was sacked 14 times, finishing with a 79.1 passer rating, much lower than his 95.4 career mark.

With the Chargers sitting at 5-6 and needing some wins to get back in the playoff run, it’s worth noting that Rivers usually ups his game during this time of year.

In this ESPN Insider piece, NFL evaluators pick the Chargers-Tampa Bay Buccaneers matchup as one of the games to watch this week, noting how Tampa Bay handles San Diego’s pass rush will be a key factor in the game.

Chargers general manager Tom Telesco talks with Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks of the NFL Network with the addition of Joey Bosa San Diego’s pass rush now rivals the other talented pass-rushing duos in the AFC West.

My take: As ESPN’s Dan Graziano notes, even though Rivers threw four interceptions in the fourth quarter of San Diego’s loss to the Miami Dolphins a few weeks ago, San Diego’s confidence remains high in the veteran signal-caller.

Chase Stuart of FiveThirtyEight.com notes that Melvin Gordon is among the running backs shouldering the lion’s share of workload on the ground for his team.

My take: Gordon is playing up to his draft status, and has a decent chance of reaching the Pro Bowl in his second season. Gordon faces a Tampa Bay defense allowing 116 rushing yards a contest, No. 22 in the NFL. In this ESPN Insider piece, Gordon also was mentioned by as one of the best backs in the league by NFL evaluators.

Chargers defensive tackle Brandon Mebane said via Instagram that he had successful surgery to repair his torn biceps and looks forward to returning to the field next season. Also, Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports that Asante Cleveland suffered a knee injury and concussion last week that forced him to miss a game due to a hit-and-run accident in downtown San Diego.

My take: That’s a scary situation for Cleveland, and the local police are still looking for the person responsible for the accident. Mebane has had a profound effect on San Diego’s defense, both on and off the field. He’s one of the many solid, free agent additions Telesco signed during the offseason.