The Los Angeles Chargers are one of the most intriguing teams in the entire NFL. They suffered an absolutely heartbreaking defeat to miss the postseason by a game last year. General manager Tom Telesco put together the best free agency period in the league. He added elite players like Khalil Mack, JC Jackson, and Sebastian Joseph-Day.
The 2022 NFL Draft didn't slow the Chargers down either. They drafted premium talent that filled positional needs throughout all seven rounds. It looks like Los Angeles is primed for their most exciting season in years. Here are three early predictions for how it all goes down for the Chargers.
Chargers 2022 Predictions
1. The Chargers will have the best statistical offense in the NFL
Los Angeles was pretty close to this benchmark in 2021. So, seeing it happen this year wouldn't be all that surprising. Quarterback Justin Herbert should continue to improve, and so should the positions around him. The offensive line improved over the offseason. That was the one major knock on LA's offense. The wide receivers are the same as last year. The front office brought in a legitimate tight end in Gerald Everett over the offseason. Running back Austin Ekeler is primed for an absolutely monstrous year with the improvements on the offensive line, and the depth behind him is strong.
The Chargers will also be playing in games that produce a lot of offense. Both matchups with the Chiefs should be high-scoring shootouts. Their meetings with the Raiders will likely be more of the same. Los Angeles is sound defensively, but the offense will be the backbone of this team. Expect that to show in the stat sheets next year.
2. The Chargers will not win the AFC West
Despite all of their offseason improvements, it's hard to see the Chargers winning their division. Los Angeles has an absolutely brutal schedule outside of their division, as they face the Los Angeles Rams, Tennessee Titans, and the San Francisco 49ers over the course of the season. Those games, in addition to six contests against the Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders, and the Denver Broncos will make it extremely difficult to put together a first-place record.
3. The Chargers will be eliminated in the first round of the playoffs
There's several reasons why this prediction makes a ton of sense. The Chargers will likely be forced into a wild card seed, making their first-round matchup exponentially more difficult. That wild card game will be on the road for the Chargers, and will very likely be against a team like the Chiefs, the Buffalo Bills, or the Tennessee Titans. Keep in mind that playoff game will come after a grueling season in which the Chargers were matched up with a playoff-caliber team almost every single week. That's a recipe for disappointment when the postseason comes around.
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Experience is also a major factor. There are very few players on the Los Angeles roster that have legitimate postseason experience. Wide receiver Keenan Allen has some, and new cornerback JC Jackson has been to the playoffs a couple of times. However, there really isn't a single player on this roster that has significant postseason experience. There isn't a guy who can rally the team and lead them through adversity after the toil of an 18-week regular season. For those reasons, it wouldn't be surprising at all to see the Chargers exit early in the 2022 playoffs.
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