After suffering three straight defeats to the Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Tennessee Titans, many though the Chargers were done. Their offensive line was shot and their running game was essentially non-existent with many fans thinking it was another lost season for Los Angeles.
Despite the disappointing struggles, the Chargers kept fighting and after getting a win on the road against the Chicago Bears, the Chargers were able to pull off one of the more surprising upsets of Week 9 with a convincing win over the Green Bay Packers who came in at 7-1. The win gave hope to fans that the season might still be salvaged in hopes of another impressive winter run for the Chargers.
According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, quarterback Philip Rivers stated, “for whatever reason we just play a little better when it's, ‘Oh, it's Chargers. They're not going to do anything.'” The Chargers have been known for disappointing out of the gates, but picking up steam just when everyone assumes they are out of the race.
Rivers also noted that he wishes Los Angeles could have pulled out one of those close losses earlier in the season as it would have put them in a better position to come back.
We will see how the Chargers play the rest of the season with a new offensive coordinator at the helm. If Los Angeles does indeed want to reach the playoffs they need to avoid playing down to their competition and utilize the talent around Rivers. The Chargers aren't dead yet but in a competitive AFC, they can't afford any more defeats to inferior opponents.
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