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The Los Angeles Chargers are on a roll right now, and it could not come at a better time. They have won five of their last six games. That includes stringing together four victories in a row. Dating back to Week 14, the Chargers have looked really good. They beat the Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans, Indianapolis Colts, and the Los Angeles Rams in succession.
Star quarterback Justin Herbert has had some rough games this season, but his arm is still a rocket. RB Austin Ekeler has been dependable both as a rusher and receiver, while their receiving corps has been solid. The duo of Khalil Mack and Morgan Fox has been terrific on defense as well.
It is no shock that the Chargers are now 10-6. They are in second place in the AFC West and are currently in fourth place in the conference. The Chargers are just behind the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and Cincinnati Bengals. Here we will look at the different playoff scenarios for the Chargers after their big win over the Rams.
On Sunday, Ekeler actually played a key role in the Chargers' 31-10 victory over the Rams. He set a milestone by becoming only the fifth running back to have 100 receptions in a season. He also rushed for 122 yards and scored two touchdowns.
Behind Ekeler, the Chargers running game was particularly strong. They finished with 192 yards and an average of 6.2 yards per carry. That's their second-best performance of the season. This balanced offense, with 31 run and 31 pass plays, is a true advantage for Los Angeles. This has really helped them secure their spot in the playoffs.
Not to be outdone, the Chargers defense also had a strong showing against the Rams. This unit allowed only 277 total yards and 10 points. They even shut out the Rams in the second half, following a shutout in their previous game against the Colts. The pass rush was particularly effective, recording three sacks and 15 quarterback pressures. Kyle Van Noy, Morgan Fox, and Sebastian Joseph-Day each recorded a sack. Van Noy even set a career-long streak of four consecutive games with a sack.
Chargers head coach Brandon Staley even stated that the team has no plans to rest players for health reasons in the final regular season game. They want to secure the highest seed possible for the playoffs.
“I think that we’re going to try and go as high as we can go,” Staley said after beating the Rams. “I think that is going to be our mission, to keep our guys healthy, but we’re going to try and attack next week so that we can get that the highest seed that we can get.”
Here are the possible playoff scenarios for the Los Angeles Chargers depending on Week 18 game results.
we all we need pic.twitter.com/GneJmGrJy6
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) January 3, 2023
Chargers as AFC No. 5 Seed
One of two things must occur for the Chargers to finish as the No. 5 seed. In Week 18, they must first defeat the Denver Broncos. Second, the Chargers need the Bengals to defeat the Baltimore Ravens should Los Angeles lose to the Broncos.
Coach Staley reiterated that while player health and recent success will also be important factors, the Bolts' top priority is to earn the No. 5 spot.
“The case-by-case nature of the players, I think that that is the approach that we're going to take, in terms of whether or not to sit them,” Staley said. “If there's something that we feel like that would be a good decision, we'll take that case by case.
“I think that going into the playoffs, you have to be playing football to get to where you want to go, so we're going to try and maximize our group heading into the playoffs, for sure,” he added.
Of course, the outcome of the Bengals-Bills game in Week 17 might still have an impact on this situation. Recall that Damar Hamlin's injury forced the official postponement of this game. If the Bills defeat the Bengals, the Chargers will be under much greater pressure to triumph in Week 18.
Chargers as AFC No. 6 Seed
If the Chargers lose to the Broncos and the Ravens beat the Bengals, the Chargers will be the No. 6 seed in the playoffs. While this outcome is unlikely, the Chargers will do everything they can to avoid it.
Keep in mind that if the Chargers are the No. 6 seed, they may have to play the Bills, Chiefs, or Bengals in the Wild Card Round. However, if they are the No. 5 seed, they are more likely to face the Jaguars or Titans. The Chargers have already beaten the Titans this season, but they lost to both the Chiefs and Jaguars. They have not yet played the Bills or Bengals this season. Needless to say, Chargers fans would much rather face the AFC South 1st place team than the true big boys of the conference in the first round of the postseason.
