The Chargers head into their bye week with a 2-2 record. The playoffs are still a realistic, attainable expectation, particularly with the hope that quarterback Justin Herbert gets healthier as the season goes on.
The Week 5 bye helps with that, as the franchise quarterback has been banged up with multiple injuries all season long. Here are the team’s most important games for the remainder of the season.
Week 6 @ Broncos
They always say your most important game is your next one. Well, this Week 6 matchup is massive for several reasons. The Broncos have shown signs of life recently and sit at 2-2 after Week 4.
With both teams at 2-2, it will provide a jolt of momentum to whoever wins the game. For the Chargers, it would bring them back to above-.500 with a legit shot at the postseason.
Week 7 @ Cardinals
The Chargers come out of their bye week with back-to-back road games. This Week 7 matchup comes on Monday Night Football against a much-improved Cardinals squad.
It’ll be an entertaining matchup for several purposes, and Kyler Murray’s mobility will provide a major challenge for Chargers DC Jesse Minter. These first two games after the bye will determine a lot about how good this team is.
Week 11 vs. Bengals
Per usual, the Bengals have started their season awfully slow. It’s still not completely indicative of their overall talent, and many still expect them to get back on track. With that being said, this could be a major matchup when it comes to playoff implications.
The Bengals sit at 1-3 a month into the season and will likely have to earn a Wild Card spot in order to make the postseason. The Chargers will be one of those teams that they will be competing with for one of those spots, which makes this a potentially huge game. The Herbert vs. Burrow quarterback matchup will be a thrilling one to watch as well.
Week 12 vs. Ravens
The Ravens asserted their dominance in Week 4 with a blowout win over the Bills. If the Chargers were to somehow beat Baltimore on Monday Night Football, it would do wonders for their confidence.
Offensive coordinator Greg Roman will get to face his old team as well and may know a thing or two about how to attack Baltimore’s defense. Lamar Jackson against the much-improved Chargers defense will be the key matchup to watch in this one.