Although they did end up making it all the way to the AFC championship game, things sure looked bleak when they started 1-3 and 5-5 in Norv Turner’s first season as coach.

Outside linebacker Shawne Merriman doesn’t buy the talk in some circles that it’s the Chargers’ turn to win it all.

“To tell you the truth, I don’t think it’s anybody’s turn,” Merriman said. “You know, it’s how hard you work for it, and in our case, finishing up how we want to finish. They always say the team that almost gets there last year should win it the next year. That’s all good, but for us, we just look at it as something we’ve got to do.”

Expectations could be higher for the Chargers this year, provided that Rivers, Tomlinson, tight end Antonio Gates and center Nick Hardwick all come back strong from injuries.

Rivers thinks the Chargers can handle the expectations better this year.

“Again, we have an understanding of what it really takes,” he said. “We didn’t know what it takes to play in an AFC championship game. We didn’t know what it’s like to go on the road and knock off the defending champs. But now we know, so when all these things come arising again, which we hope we get the opportunity again, then we’ve actually been through it. We’re not just feeling our way through it. You know what it’s going to be like. We’ll have a clue.”

Rivers said his knee “feels better than I could have imagined it. It’s going to be really key to keep staying on top of it. I’ve been told by many people that know the deal that it’s going to get tired if you let it. It’s the strength. It’ll run out of gas quicker. Just keep filling up the tank.”

Tomlinson said his knee is fine, but Hardwick (foot surgery) was on the active-physically unable to perform list.

Gates was taken off the PUP list earlier this week and participated in parts of practice after passing a physical. He had surgery nearly six months ago to repair a tear in the plantar plate of his left foot. He injured his left big toe during a playoff game against Tennessee last January.

He said his prospects look good for playing in the regular-season opener against the Carolina Panthers on Sept. 7, but only if he doesn’t have any setbacks with his foot.

“I hate to look so far down the road because this is a tricky situation,” Gates said. “It’s one of those things where it feels really good one day and you come back another day and it’s sore.

“It’s one of those injuries where you have to really monitor and make sure I’m not overdoing it.”

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