Playoff Hopes Alive: What the Chargers Need to Secure a Spot
After suffering a tough defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 15, Los Angeles Charger fans might be panicking as the game marked the first of many things. The defense allowed a whopping 40 points for the first time this season and over 500 yards of offense against them. On the offensive side of the ball, they absolutely disappeared in the second half. Sunday’s game marked the 11th time that the offense did not score a touchdown in the third quarter this season.
To add insult to injuries, the loss by the Chargers dropped them to the last playoff spot and to a record of 8-6. AFC West rival, the Denver Broncos, leapfrogged the Chargers thanks to their victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Fortunately, with three games left to go, the Chargers have a two-game lead over the eighth-seeded Colts. So technically speaking, Jim Harbaugh, in his inaugural season with the Bolts, still has a strong chance to send the team to their first postseason since 2022.
The Chargers have the chance to clinch a playoff spot as soon as this week if any of the following two scenarios happen. Scenario one would require the Chargers to win on Thursday Night Football against the Broncos, with the Colts and Miami Dolphins to lose or tie their respective games. The other scenario is if the Chargers and Broncos game ends in a tie, the Dolphins and Colts would need to lose their games while also needing the Cincinnati Bengals to lose or tie against the Cleveland Browns. A Chargers loss to the Broncos would do them no good as it would help the Broncos clinch a playoff spot and end their eight-year drought. Depending on what happens with the Colts, Dolphins, and Bengals, the Chargers, who would have once had a comfortable position to clinch, would start to feel some pressure. On paper, the Chargers end their season with two favorable road matchups against the New England Patriots and the Las Vegas Raiders. However, it is much preferable to clinch before then.
A hobbled Justin Herbert and company will now shift their focus to a short week date with the Broncos at home. Back in Week Six, the Chargers handled the Broncos to a score of 23-16. That win at the time had given the Chargers the head-to-head tiebreaker. Though, with how things unfolded since then, the Broncos find themselves ahead of the Chargers with a 9-5 record. The big AFC West showdown kicks off at 5:15 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on Thursday Night Football. Safety Derwin James was very vocal about what Week 16 means for this team, stating, “Next week is a must-win game, the most important game of our season, and I can’t wait to get ready to prepare for it.”
