NFL

Chargers’ ‘soft’ run defense improving

SAN DIEGO — The Chargers don’t have a copy of the Jets offensive game plan for today’s AFC divisional matchup, but they have a pretty good guess of what it looks like.

“We know ahead of time what their plan is going to be,” nose tackle Ian Scott said. “It’s not going to be a surprise [today] when they come out and try to run the ball because that’s what they do well and that’s what they’re committed to doing. There’s not a lot of uncertainty. You pretty much know what you’re going to get from them, and it comes down to are you going to be able to stop them or not.”

Whether the Chargers can stop the Jets running game could be what today’s game hinges on. The Jets have the No. 1 rushing attack in the NFL and have shown versatility in the last two weeks, using heavy doses of Shonn Greene and Brad Smith out of the backfield as well as leading rusher Thomas Jones.

The Chargers defense has gained a reputation this season for being soft against the run. San Diego is ranked 20th in the NFL against the run and were dealt a big blow in the first game of the season when they lost nose tackle Jamal Williams to a torn triceps. It took until midseason for the Chargers to replace Williams with Scott shoring up the spot.

The Chargers have played better against the run than their numbers indicate. They have allowed just two 100-yard rushers this season. One of those was the Titans’ Chris Johnson, who compiled 142 yards in Week 16 mainly during garbage time of a Chargers 42-17 romp.

“We’ve played some pretty good runners,” linebacker Shawne Merriman said. “You look at Chris Johnson, Cedric Benson, we’ve faced some heck of a runners. We found ways to get better at it. Are we great at it? No. But we have to find a way to be great in the playoffs.”

brian.costello@nypost.com