NFL

Beason playing like a beast

SAN DIEGO — Ryan Matthews and Danny Woodhead are the Chargers’ running backs for Jon Beason to key on Sunday, a week after Beason made 17 tackles to help stifle the Redskins’ potent rushing attack.

Beason said he has a clear goal in mind when he takes the field.

“You go out there as a middle linebacker and you try to make ’em all,’’ Beason told The Post. “Sometimes it happens like that: You do your job, you’re where you’re supposed to be and you make the ones you’re supposed to make.

“Having a motor, having that tempo, constantly getting after it puts you in position to make a lot of tackles. I think that’s a good characteristic of a middle ’backer.’’

Just as running backs always say they attempt to get in “a zone’’ with the ball, Beason said the same is true for a linebacker.

“You try to make the first tackle, that’s the hardest one,’’ he said. “Then they kind of come in waves.’’

Running back Brandon Jacobs, listed as doubtful to play because of lingering issues with his knee, made the cross-country trip. The Giants do not take players on their road trips if there is little or no chance of them playing. Jacobs did not play last week because of the swelling in his knee and has missed four of the past six games with hamstring or knee problems. Veteran Peyton Hillis filled in for Jacobs last week and was the Giants’ most effective runner, rushing six times for 45 yards. … Cornerback Trumaine McBride (groin), listed as questionable, also made the trip. Cornerback Corey Webster (ankle) and defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul(shoulder) were declared out on Friday and did not make the trip.

Through 12 games, Eli Manning already has been sacked a career-high 31 times, but insists his body has not taken more of a beating than other seasons.

“Sometimes sacks don’t always lead to more soreness,’’ Manning said. “Sometimes it just depends on the type of sack or on the hit.” Sometimes a hit is usually worse. If you’re throwing it and get hit, that’s when you can sometimes take a bigger hit than if you see a sack coming — you can go down or you kind of get more tackled. It all depends on how many big hits you take, and I really haven’t taken too many.”

The Giants know a big challenge in this game is getting the Chargers off the field. Thanks mainly to Philip Rivers completing an NFL-high 70 percent of his passes, the Chargers convert 46.4 percent of their third downs.

“They’re second in the league in that,’’ coach Tom Coughlin said. “They’re unbelievable. When you watch them play, there’s so much going on when it’s third down. It’s 46 percent. I said, ‘How could that be, I just looked at the game and I didn’t think it was that good.’ But they are. That’s how they keep the ball.”