COSTA MESA, Calif. -- There is only one person on the planet who can bring down Justin Jones, who is one of the Los Angeles Chargers' toughest defensive linemen, a 6-foot-3, 300-pounder with a Twitter handle of @Twenty7savage.

That person to bring him down, or lift him up depending on your perspective, is 2-foot-10 and likes to wear her hair in a bun with lots of ribbons and often sports a pink tutu. And she'll turn 1 next month.

"Yesterday I was brushing my hair and then she wanted to brush my hair," Jones said of his daughter, Kamiah. "I'll get up at 6 a.m. and she'll pop up and will sit up with me until I leave for work. Then she goes right back to bed. She came along at the right time."

She makes Jones smile, makes him calm. Especially when things are tough. And things have been tough, especially with Jones on injured reserve with a calf injury until last Sunday. He missed five games, only playing in the season opener against Washington before returning for last week's loss to the New England Patriots.

The Chargers' run defense ranked last in the league during his absence, giving up 198 yards to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2, 230 to the Cleveland Browns in Week 5 and 187 yards to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 6.

Jones' absence created a devastating hole in the Chargers' line. Only when he came back against the Patriots were they able to re-establish a semblance of resistance against the run. Against the Patriots they allowed a modest 3.9 per carry average -- a marked improvement from the 5.6 yards per carry they were giving up in the five games Jones missed. The Chargers hope to continue that progress Sunday at the Philadelphia Eagles (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS).

"I thought getting Justin back was important," said head coach Brandon Staley.

And it was. Jones gave the entire team a lift, as the Chargers only gave up one score on the ground against New England.

Jones was drafted by the Chargers in the third round in 2018 out of NC State after being projected as a fifth- or sixth-round pick. But he performed so well in the Senior Bowl that the Chargers jumped at him. He weighed 319 when entering the league but went on a fitness kick after his rookie season in which he stopped eating beef and pork and began boxing.

As a result he's lost roughly 20 pounds and is leaner, meaner defensive end who can move with the best of them while also being strong in run support.

Said safety Derwin James Jr.: "Justin Jones is a big part of this team. Having him back, I felt his energy on the first play of the game."

Jones is certainly happy to be back on the field, having sat through every defensive meeting since injuring the calf the first week of the season to stay with the team mentally. It helped, he said.

"The first play made me feel like I was back," Jones said of his experience against the Patriots. "In the first half, I was getting into the rhythm of things; reading my keys ... just getting back and playing actual football, win the game. The second half I picked my play up, just being more comfortable and getting back in the rhythm with my guys."

Part of that rhythm was adjusting to Staley's new defensive system, which was tough to do sitting at home.

"I would watch the games at home and not being able to echo the call putting guys in better situations and making more plays," Jones said. "I just felt like I could at least do that for the guys, that kind of hurt me, seeing some guys struggle, knowing that I couldn't be out there with them."

Kamiah was watching on TV, too, at home with Jones and her mother, Kandace. "She watches everybody on TV, looks at my jersey and stares," Jones said. "It's so cute."

Kamiah wants to do whatever her dad does but he has yet to pose her in a three-point stance.

"I was nervous at first," Jones, who is a self-proclaimed "girl dad", said. "I've seen a lot of dads fail. Her mom has done a really good job."

Failing as a dad was never an option for Jones, whose own father was in and out of his life.

"I've never quit at anything I've done ... being present for your child, that's what they care about. They could care less where you take them, or what your plan for the day is," he said. "They want you and your time.

"Everything's a learning experience."

Especially off the field.

And on the field?

"We haven't won the last two games," Jones said. "I think we can go a long ways this season. I really think that we have the guys to do it, we have the team to do it, we have the quarterback and the coaches to do it. We have to bring it all together and bring our team ready to play on Sunday to get this win together. That's really the plan."