Following a disappointing loss to the Oakland Raiders on Dec. 5, the Chargers bounced back with nearly flawless victories over the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers, improving their record to 8-6. The wins have propelled San Diego into serious contention for a playoff spot with two games left in the regular season. Not coincidentally, much-maligned wideout Vincent Jackson has played a huge role in the Chargers’ most recent run of dominance. “It’s nice having him back. He played really well and gave us a boost,” said quarterback Philip Rivers after the Kansas City game. “He adds another dimension to our offense.” Although Jackson was held to 29 receiving yards against the Chiefs, his presence was a huge impact, forcing Kansas City to respect his big-play potential. With so much focus on Jackson, the Chargers running game blasted its way to 207 rush yards in the game. “When he’s on the field, they (opponents) know they have to cover him and it’s a different deal,” head coach Norv Turner said. “There aren’t a lot of people who are just going to single cover him and play man, so it helps everyone else.” In the 34-7 demolition of San Francisco, Jackson carried the offensive load, grabbing five passes for 112 yards and scoring a career high three touchdowns. That performance has put opposing defenses on notice that one of the best receivers in the NFL is back at top form. While Jackson essentially missed the majority of the season before the 31-0 blowout of the Chiefs, that game also marked the return of rookie running back Ryan Mathews. The former Fresno State star had not played in three games leading up to the win. Mathews had missed time because of nagging injuries, but he was available for duty against the Raiders. Turner opted not to use Mathews in that game, which clearly left the talented rookie’s pride bruised. But Mathews chose to take the high road and his time on the sidelines may have provided some essential insight into the NFL game. “It’s learning. I think the coaches know what they’re doing,” he said. “I just got a week better that’s all it was. I’m not really focusing on that.” Motivated by the benching or not, Mathews has responded with 121 yards on 33 carries since the Raiders game. With diminutive scatback Darren Sproles seemingly breaking out of a season-long slump combined with the punishing running of Mike Tolbert, the Chargers boast a three-headed monster in the backfield that’s potentially the most dominant in the game. “For the defense not to know what kind of run or pass is coming is a great threat for us,” Tolbert said. Tolbert has also shown off some dancing talent, breaking into a signature shuffle after each touchdown he scores. “I’ve been dancing all my life. That’s how I have fun and have a good time,” said the light-hearted battering ram. “They call it the ‘dougie’ and I’m doing my own version of it.” San Diego fans would like nothing more than to see Tolbert doing the “dougie” over and over again during a long playoff run.