The Chargers know who they will be playing this upcoming season.
On paper, the team has a fairly tough schedule. However, there are opponents on the dock that should be gimmes.
Here’s a look at the games that are the most winnable for Los Angeles, in no particular order.
Week 9 at Philadelphia Eagles
While quarterback Jalen Hurts showed promise in his rookie season, this is officially the first full year as the man calling the shots, and growing pains are to be expected. The rest of the offense, which now has play-making wide receiver DeVonta Smith, is still relatively young – and defensive guru Brandon Staley is capable of exploiting it. On the other side of the ball, there are still some holes, especially in the secondary.
Week 13 at Cincinnati Bengals
This is the first time that two of the top quarterbacks from the 2020 draft class will meet up. After Joe Burrow went down with a season-ending, it was smooth sailing for Justin Herbert to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. Burrow will have his former teammate from LSU, wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. However, Cincinnati’s inability to put an offensive line with surefire talent might hold Burrow back as he returns to the football field.
Week 14 vs. New York Giants
The Giants have done a fine job of building their defense into what could be one of the top units. However, the team still has some things that could hold them back from being decent, with those being the question marks surrounding quarterback Daniel Jones and the poor offensive line. Even if the skill players are an improvement from last season, it doesn’t help when Jones is running for his life.
Week 16 at Houston Texans
The Texans are likely entering this season in rebuild mode, considering there’s a good chance that quarterback Deshaun Watson misses most of, if not, all of 2021. In addition, Houston no longer has wide receiver Will Fuller and defensive end J.J. Watt.