CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- During these last four games of the season, San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers will have to do a better job of navigating the delicate balance of taking risks to create chunk plays down the field.

More times than he would like this year, the veteran quarterback has rolled the dice and come up with snake eyes.

Rivers has thrown 14 interceptions this season, second only to Blake Bortles of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and seven of those have come in the last three games.

However, Rivers understands his dilemma: With mounting injuries, San Diego has a slim margin for error when it comes to winning games. The Chargers need their franchise quarterback to make plays at the end of games to push San Diego to victories.

“It’s the decision-making of when is being risky and when is being stupid,” Rivers told Xtra 1360 Fox Sports San Diego. “I can’t stand back there and say, ‘Don’t turn it over, don’t turn it over,’ because then you’ll never make a play.”

Like his quarterback, Chargers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt understands that Rivers has to take risks at times, but finding that balance and taking care of the football are just as important.

“A lot of times it’s situational,” Whisenhunt said. “You’re forced to in some games to make tight throws. And some of it is having a lot of your skill players that you’ve worked with for years that you know and trust.

“You talk about our red zone, and we’re not as proficient in the red zone as we’d like to be. But Danny Woodhead is a huge contributor down there. Keenan [Allen] is a huge contributor down there. We didn’t have Antonio [Gates] for a number of games because of an injury. And I think when you get into a situation when you have tight windows, there’s a trust factor with these guys.”

Woodhead and Allen were done early in the year due to knee injuries. So Rivers has had to build up more trust with players such as Tyrell Williams, Dontrelle Inman and Melvin Gordon this season in those critical moments in games, which perhaps has led to more turnovers.

Rivers will have more opportunities to make plays against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, facing a pass defense that allows 270 yards per game, third-worst in the NFL.

How Rivers manages the football in those meaningful moments of the game will likely be the difference between winning and losing.

Here are five things to watch for in San Diego’s contest against the Panthers.

Win the fourth quarter: The Chargers have given up fourth-quarter leads in five of the team’s seven games this season. According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Chargers have been outscored by 57 points in the fourth quarter and overtime this season, second-worst in the league. But they're facing the worst team in that department in the Panthers. Carolina has been outscored by a league-worst 63 points this season. The Chargers rank fourth in scoring margin during the first three quarters of games with a plus-72 scoring margin. The Chargers just need to figure out a way to hold on in the fourth quarter.

Run the football: Gordon needs just eight yards to reach 1,000 rushing yards for the first time in his NFL career. And San Diego faces a Carolina run defense that allows 4.9 yards per rush when Luke Kuechly is on the sideline compared to 3.5 yards per rush when he’s on the field. Kuechly will sit out a third straight game due to lingering concussion symptoms, so the Chargers will feed Gordon early and often.

Keep Cam Newton from wrecking the game: Yes, Newton is not playing up the MVP-level he established last season, but the 6-foot-5, 240-pound quarterback can still make plays and should be motivated after dealing with “Tie-gate” all week. Further, the Chargers struggled to contain a quarterback with a similar skill set in a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jameis Winston last week.

Get after the football: The Chargers are tied for second in the NFL with the Oakland Raiders with 24 takeaways and have forced a turnover in all 12 games this season. The Panthers have turned the ball over 23 times this season, fourth-most in the league. So San Diego should have some opportunities on Sunday.

Shut down Carolina run game: The Chargers have been impressive stopping the run this season, giving up just 89 rushing yards a contest, No. 3 in the NFL. But Carolina will try to bully the Chargers up front with Jonathan Stewart and Newton in the run game, and the Chargers need to be ready.