Mack's back: Chargers' defensive leader gives impassioned speech to stop losing slide

Khalil Mack physically returned for the Los Angeles Chargers last week. Now his verbal leadership is also arriving.

After a 3-0 start spurred talks about ending the Kansas City Chiefs' AFC West run and sparked dreams about Super LX, the Chargers have lost three of four. The only win in the ugly stretch was a last-second escape of the one-win Miami Dolphins and last Sunday at SoFi Stadium the Bolts were dealt a sobering blowout loss by the Indianapolis Colts.

Mack, the team's defensive leader, was lost to a gruesome elbow injury in Week 2. Back when it appeared the Chargers might have a dominating defense. They held the their first four opponents to 21 points or fewer, and on a dominant Monday night performance in Week 2 they smothered the rival Las Vegas Raiders.

But then Mack was injured, and the same with offensive stars Joe Alt, Najee Harris and Omarion Hampton. The winning streak seems eons ago and the winning record is now in jeopardy as the 4-3 Chargers this week host the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday Night Football.

Alt appears as though he will play after a three-game absence. Hampton will return at some point. And Mack is already back. He had the team's only sack against Indianapolis, and is now rallying his troops to stop the bleeding.

Khalil Mack's Leadership on Display

"It put a bad taste in everybody's mouth, so you got that sense of how bad we want this next one," Mack said after the embarrassing loss to the Colts in which the Chargers allowed Indy to score on six of its first seven possessions. "At times like this, it takes more than just talk. It takes a little more action. Just want to see a lot more action-based things at this pivotal time of the season."

Getting more healthy bodies back will help the Chargers. So will impassioned speeches from Khalil Mack.