The Los Angeles Chargers are 10-4 after a massive win against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday afternoon. The Bolts escaped the chilly weather with a win in what was a hard-fought game until the final seconds. The biggest story of the evening was Patrick Mahomes tearing his ACL on the final drive of the game.
Despite being underdogs, the Chargers won their third game in a row and defeated opponents who took part in the Super Bowl in February. This has the makings of being a real Super Bowl threat, led by head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Los Angeles remains the 5th seed in the AFC, which would line them up to play the AFC North in the first round of the playoffs if the season ended today. After tonight's Dolphins-Steelers MNF game, three weeks remain on the season, and it's almost certain that the winner of the AFC North will be the 4th seed, hosting whoever ends up as the 5th seed.
There is still a chance the Bolts don't make the playoffs altogether, but that would be highly unlikely as the team is playing very well. Some teams currently out of the playoffs may have a hard time getting in.
The Bolts end the season taking on the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, and Denver Broncos. Despite owning a 12-2 record, the Broncos are still two wins away from clinching the AFC West. The Chargers are 5-0 in the division as of now, and there is a good chance they will end the season 6-0 in the AFC West, and not even win the division. The Broncos have done a great job of finding ways to win, and if they beat the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 16, the division will likely be theirs to lose. Denver may sit their starters in Week 18 if the division is already locked up.
A lot can happen in the final three weeks, but one thing is for sure, and it is that the Chargers want another battle against the Jaguars in the playoffs. The players want to end the skid against this team. The Jaguars have owned the Chargers over their last three matchups, dominating them in all areas of the game outside of that 27-0 blown Wild Card game in 2021-22. In that game, the Chargers just flat-out choked.
Earlier this year, the Chargers traveled to Jacksonville and lost 35-6. If the Chargers were to go back to Jacksonville again for the first round of the 2025-26 playoffs, they may start seeing ghosts. This would be their nightmare matchup.
The Jags are one of the best teams in the NFL this season. They also have a 10-4 record, racking up five straight wins. Their last three have been blowouts. They dominated the Titans, Colts, and most recently, the Jets by 28. The Chargers would be put in a very tough position if this ended up being the case.
The Jags are looking like they could win the AFC South. It should happen with a one-game lead over the Texans, but anything is possible. The Chargers would need to fall to the 6-seed for this matchup to work. The Buffalo Bills have a favorable schedule and have a good chance of finishing the year 3-0, giving New England a run for their money. If that is the case, the Bolts would also have to win all remaining three games in order to remain the 5-seed.
The results of Week 16 should give a clear picture.
