Asante Samuel Jr. – Syndication Server

Chargers’ studs and duds from the 2024 season

The Chargers made the playoffs in the first season under Jim Harbaugh, which should set the stage for bigger expectations moving forward.

All things considered, it was a successful 2024 season for the Chargers. Jim Harbaugh’s first year with the squad went even better than expected, and the future is bright with this squad.

This team could be a few moves away from being legitimate contenders in 2025. Before we look ahead to the offseason more though, it’s time to look back at the studs and duds from this season.

Stud: DT Poona Ford

What a breakout season for the 29-year-old. The defense took a big step forward in 2024, and Ford’s addition was instrumental. In the regular season, the veteran racked up three sacks, eight tackles for loss, nine quarterback hits, his first career interception, and five pass deflections. Entering this season, he had four career pass deflections in six NFL seasons and he surpassed that number in 2024 alone. Ford was dominant in stopping the run and he’s a guy that the Chargers must re-sign this offseason.

Dud: Joey Bosa

Simply put, it was a disappointing season for the four-time Pro Bowler. Bosa recorded just 5.5 sacks in 14 games, the worst number in a season in which he’s played at least six games. He missed just three games this year, but it was clear that he wasn’t the same throughout the season. As a result, Bosa is a legitimate cap casualty candidate this offseason as the Chargers can save a lot of money by moving on from him.

Stud: WR Ladd McConkey

What a rookie season for the Georgia product. McConkey was even better than advertised and was able to eclipse the 100-yard mark an impressive four times. The playmaker finished with 82 catches, 1,149 receiving yards, and seven touchdowns on the year. McConkey established himself as the team’s best wideout and should have a bright future in Los Angeles

Dud: Asante Samuel Jr.

Injuries got the best of Samuel in 2024, which limited him to just four games. He was quite durable in his first three NFL seasons in which he played in 47 games. Even when he was healthy, Samuel wasn’t the same playmaker that we have become accustomed to. Now, his future in Los Angeles is up in the air as he’s scheduled to hit free agency. Not only may Samuel be a bit too pricey, but the Chargers have a few young corners that stepped up and played well this season.

Stud: OT Joe Alt

Why not highlight another rookie? The class looks to be a stellar one after one season, and these two have a lot to do with that. Alt was superb in his first NFL season, which helped the Chargers form one of the best offensive tackle duos in football. For all of the criticism on the team not taking a wideout with the fifth overall pick, Alt proved to be well worth it. Along with Rashawn Slater, this team is built to protect quarterback Justin Herbert for a long time and Alt is a big reason for that. The Notre Dame product was particularly exceptional in pass protection, which will be crucial to keeping Herbert healthy in the future.

5 players the Chargers should not re-sign

The Chargers have some big decisions to make with some of their own free agents, including defenders Asante Samuel Jr. and Denzel Perryman.

It’s that time of the year where we began to evaluate the Chargers’ internal free agents. The front office has several decisions to make this offseason, and it begins with who to retain amongst its own.

Below are five players that Los Angeles should end up letting walk this offseason:

WE Joshua Palmer

It was a disappointing 2024 campaign for the Tennessee product. In a year in which Los Angeles needed him to take a step forward, he simply failed to do so. In 15 games, he registered 39 catches and 584 receiving yards, good for 15.0 yards per reception. Palmer’s 60.0% catch rate and one touchdown were both career worsts, while his measly 38.9 yards per contest was his lowest number since his 2021 rookie campaign. While wideout remains a need for this team, the front office will be better suited going after a wideout in both the draft and free agency.

C Bradley Bozeman

With all due respect, Bozeman should be the most obvious decision amongst this group. Joe Hortiz recently stated that the team has had discussions about bringing him back already, and the veteran doesn’t seem opposed to it either. Unless if it’s for a role as a backup, re-signing Bozeman would be a mistake. He was consistently the biggest weakness along the offensive line in 2024, and it’s time to find a younger, longer-term option at center.

TE Hayden Hurst

Hurst signed a one-year deal with the Chargers last offseason, and that should end up being the duration of his time in Los Angeles. The 31-year-old is a shell of his younger self and the numbers reflect such. Hurst had a career lows in catches (8), yards (73), while also failing to reach the endzone for the first time in his career. Tight end is a major need for this team, and Hurst is not apart of the short or long-term plans whatsoever.

CB Asante Samuel Jr.

A year ago, moving on from him would seem like a questionable decision. The 2021 second-rounder started 43 games in his first three seasons with the team and became the team’s most reliable cornerback throughout. Unfortunately, injuries got the best of him in 2024, and he played in just four games. Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still came on as rookies and figure to be a huge part of this team’s secondary in the future.

Pro Football Focus projects a three-year, $43.5 million deal for Samuel with $26.5 million guaranteed. This team simply has bigger needs at this point, and he’s not worth that kind of money, especially with the growth of Hart and Still. Bringing back someone like Kristian Fulton for cheaper seems like a better business move.

LB Denzel Perryman

Perryman returned to Los Angeles in 2024 on a one-year deal to start 11 games and put up 55 total tackles. Unfortunately, he’s missed a double-digit number of games over the last two years and can’t seem to stay healthy. Age isn’t on his side either, as he recently turned 32 years old. With Daiyan Henley already locked in as one of the starters in the middle, the Chargers can find someone younger and more reliable than Perryman in free agency.

What does Chargers CB Asante Samuel Jr.’s projected free agent contract look like?

Asante Samuel Jr. will be one of the top cornerbacks on the free agency market this offseason.

With Chargers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. set to become a free agent this offseason, what could his next contract be?

Pro Football Focus recently made a projection for Samuel and the other top 100 free agents this offseason.

According to PFF, they are projecting that Samuel will land a three-year deal with $43.5 million. This includes $26.5 million guaranteed.

Samuel is coming off a contract year where he missed all but four games due to a shoulder injury. He had 13 tackles and two passes defended in 2024.

Selected in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft out of Florida State, Samuel made a significant impact from the start of his professional career.

From his rookie campaign to 2023, Samuel shined in coverage, amassing over 10 breakups and two interceptions in each of those seasons.

While his ball skills have been a strength of his game, Samuel has struggled as an open-field tackler.

The case could be made for the Chargers to re-sign Samuel, as he’s an asset in coverage and is only 25 years old.

On the flip side, defensive coordinator Jesse Minter requires good tacklers on the backend, and the cornerback room got great production from Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still when they were thrust into starting roles.

Chargers 2025 offseason preview: Pending free agents, cap space, team needs, draft picks

Examining the Chargers’ offseason, including team needs, pending free agents, and salary-cap space.

After finishing 11-6 and making the playoffs, the Chargers are in full offseason mode.

Los Angeles is still a couple of months away from the new league frenzy, but it’s not too early to look at what to expect then, starting with 27 players scheduled to be unrestricted free agents.

CB Eli Apple
OL Bradley Bozeman
WR DJ Chark
RB J.K. Dobbins
LB Troy Dye
TE Hayden Hurst
WR Simi Fehoko
DL Poona Ford
DL Morgan Fox
CB Kristian Fulton
QB Taylor Heinicke
OL Brenden Jaimes
S Tony Jefferson
EDGE Khalil Mack
S Marcus Maye
S Elijah Molden
OL Sam Mustipher
LB Nick Niemann
WR Joshua Palmer
LB Denzel Perryman
LB Shaq Quarterman
WR Jalen Reagor
EDGE Chris Rumph II
CB Asante Samuel, Jr.
P JK Scott
QB Easton Stick
DL Teair Tart

Cap space

The Chargers have a projected $63 million in cap space, the sixth most among all NFL teams.

Team needs

Wide receiver

Time and time again, we saw Justin Herbert’s receivers drop crucial passes this season. Ladd McConkey is here to stay for the long term, and Quentin Johnston did show some improvements. With that, the Chargers still need a legit No. 1 playmaker on the outsider, like a Tee Higgins in free agency. Keenan Allen even teased that he would consider a return to Los Angeles. Regardless of who it is, the Chargers must get Herbert some help and it should be at the top of the priority list.

Tight end

Just behind the wide receiver position, the Chargers need tight end talent badly as well. Recent mock drafts have had Los Angeles using their first-round draft selection on a tight end. This year’s talent at the position was subpar in both the pass-catching and blocking departments. Don’t be surprised to see the front office add multiple tight ends this offseason.

Center

The offensive line is set at offensive tackle, but center was the clear weakness of this unit in 2024. Bradley Bozeman was brought in on a cheap deal, and it didn’t work out. He was regularly the weak link of the offensive line, and it’s time Los Angeles gets younger at this position.

Running back

J.K. Dobbins proved to be a good value pickup. But as we saw, his injury history is concerning. While he can’t be relied upon for an entire 17-game season, Dobbins could be a candidate to return on a short-term deal. Still, it would be wise to draft a running back in this year’s deep class or resort to the free agency pool to improve a rushing offense that ranked far below Jim Harbaugh’s standards.

Guard

Zion Johnson is sometimes inconsistent, but he will still be a starter on the left side in 2025. However, the team has a decision to make regarding his fifth-year option. On the right side, the team should seek reinforcements through the draft and free agency. Trey Pipkins was not good enough, particularly in pass protection.

Interior defensive line

Poona Ford is the big name to watch here, as he had a breakout season this year and is set to hit free agency. He was dominant on the inside, particularly in the run game. Even if Ford is brought back, this unit still needs some depth.

Cornerback

Kristian Fulton and Asante Samuel Jr. are set to become free agents, so the team must decide on those two first and foremost. Beyond that, Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still are in the plans after promising rookie seasons. The team will need depth, at minimum, at the position still. The front office may even consider getting a No. 1 corner in free agency if they lose Fulton and Samuel.

Edge defender

This is largely dependent on Khalil Mack’s fate. Mack will turn 34 in a little over a month. The veteran is coming off his third consecutive Pro Bowl appearance, and he was phenomenal under Jesse Minter this year. The team should do everything in its power to bring him back, but if they do lose him, this becomes a huge area of concern. Additionally, the team could cut ties with Joey Bosa, who has struggled with injuries.

Draft picks

The Chargers have the No. 22 overall selection and are projected to have ten total picks in the 2025 NFL draft.

These 30 Chargers players will be free agents as 2025 offseason begins

The Los Angeles Chargers have a handful of notable players scheduled to become free agents in March.

The Chargers’ offseason has begun after losing to the Texans in the wild-card round on Saturday.

Los Angeles has 30 players scheduled to become free agents this March, with 27 set to become unrestricted free agents, which are players with four or more accrued seasons and an expired contract.

L.A. also has two restricted free agents (A player with three accrued seasons and an expired contract) and an exclusive rights free agent (Any player with fewer than three accrued seasons and an expired contract).

Here’s a list of the team’s 30 pending free agents:

CB Eli Apple
OL Bradley Bozeman
WR DJ Chark
RB J.K. Dobbins
LB Troy Dye
TE Hayden Hurst
WR Simi Fehoko
DL Poona Ford
DL Morgan Fox
CB Kristian Fulton
QB Taylor Heinicke
OL Brenden Jaimes
S Tony Jefferson
EDGE Khalil Mack
S Marcus Maye
S Elijah Molden
OL Sam Mustipher
LB Nick Niemann
WR Joshua Palmer
LB Denzel Perryman
LB Shaq Quarterman
WR Jalen Reagor
EDGE Chris Rumph II
CB Asante Samuel, Jr.
P JK Scott
QB Easton Stick
DL Teair Tart
OL Foster Sarell (RFA)
TE Stone Smartt (RFA)
TE Tucker Fisk (ERFA)

Pair of Chargers named to PFF’s top free agents of 2025

The Chargers will have two good players set to hit the market.

Free agency doesn’t start for another two and a half months, and the Chargers’ primary focus is playing beyond the regular season. However, they will eventually have to retool their roster for the future, which will involve deciding whether to re-sign some of their own players.

Among the crop of soon-to-be unrestricted free agents who will take the highest priority are edge defender Khalil Mack and cornerback Asante Samuel. Mack and Samuel were named to Pro Football Focus’ early list of the top 50 free agents of 2025.

Mack checked in at No. 5, with his top free agent comparison being Von Miller in 2022.

Mack has enjoyed a late-career resurgence over the past two seasons, proving he can still be a force as a pass-rusher and a run defender. His 88 quarterback pressures in 2023 marked his highest total since 2016, and his 86.3 PFF pass-rushing grade was his best since 2020. Mack’s situation entering free agency is eerily reminiscent of Von Miller‘s back in 2022, as his six-year, $120 million contract with the Buffalo Bills was more like three years and $52.5 million, in reality.

Despite being 33, Mack has shown that he can play at a high level. He’s nowhere near his career-high 17 sacks that he totaled in 2023, but Mack can still get after the quarterback, currently with 43 pressures and six sacks. He’s also impactful as a run defender. His PFF grade is 88.6 in that department.

Samuel came in at No. 26 and was compared to DJ Reed in 2022.

After posting PFF coverage grades of 75.6 or better in each of the past two years, Samuel struggled early in his first year with defensive coordinator Jesse Minter at the helm but played just four games before being placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. Likewise, Samuel’s tackling woes — a problem that’s reared its head throughout his career — were exacerbated, with the cornerback missing a whopping 22.2% of attempts. That said, Samuel’s youth, pedigree and experience will still be very appealing.

Samuel has spent most of this season on the sidelines while dealing with a shoulder injury. Over his first three seasons, he was solid in coverage, finishing with 11 passes defended during that time. However, Samuel has struggled in run defense.

Only 25 years old, a team, even if it’s not the Chargers, will give up the money for his youth and ball production.

How Week 16 win affected Chargers place in NFL power rankings

The Chargers stood steady in the NFL Power Rankings after their win over the Broncos.

The Chargers improved to 9-6 after beating the Broncos last Thursday.

After Week 16, let’s see where Los Angeles stands in NFL power rankings:

USA Today: 12 (Previous: 16)

“It took a 48-year stretch, but the Bolts have now converted the NFL’s last two successful fair catch kicks. Bummer that Bill Belichick, who enjoys an arcane football rule as much as anyone, won’t be on the sideline at Foxborough on Saturday when the Chargers visit.”

NFL: 10 (Previous: 13)

“First things first: The Chargers earned some serious nerd points from me with their fair-catch free kick. Like Jim Harbaugh, I find it to be my favorite play in football. Fair-catch free kicks come around about as often as Halley’s Comet, and they’re almost never successful, so that one from Cameron Dicker was a big yes from me, dawg. And when Justin Herbert carried his team on his back with a gutsy effort against the Broncos on Thursday — with the free-kick field goal giving them a boost heading into halftime — it reinvigorated me a bit when it comes to the Bolts, who have their flaws but remain plucky. I’m not quite convinced that the final 2.5 quarters of defense atone for everything we saw over multiple games prior to that point, but it was a much-needed start. If Los Angeles’ D can perform like that again at New England on Saturday, I’ll buy back even more shares. The Patriots don’t score a ton of points, but Drake Maye can stress the Chargers’ secondary if they’re not careful.”

ESPN: 11 (Previous: 12)

Rookie of the year: Wide receiver Ladd McConkey

“Right tackle Joe Alt and cornerback Tarheeb Still have strong cases, but McConkey has been the Chargers’ most important offensive player not named Justin Herbert. McConkey and Herbert have already become one of the league’s best quarterback-receiver pairings. Out of 34 QB-receiver combos with at least 75 targets this season, the two rank in the top five of QBR, completion percentage and yards per attempt. McConkey leads the Chargers in receptions (69), targets (94) and yards (960).”

CBS Sports: 12 (Previous: 13)

“The Chargers bounced back from the blowout loss to the Bucs with a nice division victory over the Broncos. One more victory and they are in the playoffs.”

Sports Illustrated: 12 (Previous: 14)

“Roughly 11 compensatory draft picks for Jim Harbaugh to completely overhaul the front end of this roster.”

Bleacher Report: 13 (Previous: 10)

“Watching two of the NFL’s stingiest defenses allow 55 points was a little odd, but this was an impressive gut-check win the Chargers. The run game in Los Angeles remains a question mark (this week’s stats were skewed by one long Gus Edwards run), but the Chargers play excellent defense and have the sort of high-end quarterback in Justin Herbert who can make all the difference in the world in a playoff game. The Bolts are not a team folks want to have to face in the Wild Card round.”

How Week 15 loss affected Chargers place in NFL power rankings

After their loss on Sunday, the Chargers took a little bit of a slide.

The Chargers fell to 8-6 after losing to the Buccaneers last Sunday.

After Week 15, let’s see where Los Angeles stands in NFL power rankings:

USA Today: 16 (Previous: 12)

“After surrendering no more than 20 points in their first nine games, they’ve allowed at least 27 in three of the past five, including a forty-burger to the Bucs in Sunday’s loss.”

NFL: 13 (Previous: 9)

“Holding a 17-10 lead with just over five minutes left in the second quarter on Sunday, the Chargers fell on a Bucs fumble, and the game appeared to be tilting in their direction. From that point on, Tampa outscored L.A. 30-zip. The Bolts have had some unbelievably poor halves this season, but they absolutely crumbled after halftime in this one and were completely out of it midway through the fourth quarter. It was a hard fall for this team, which has now dropped three of the past four games and appears to be treading water — at best — even with a pretty darned good grasp on a playoff spot. A few weeks ago, the Chargers looked like the kind of first-round opponent no division winner wanted to face in the postseason. Now the defense has been humbled, and a flatlining Justin Herbert is dealing with a left ankle injury heading into a big game against Denver with seeding on the line.”

ESPN: 12 (Previous: 9)

Biggest improvement: Play-action offense

“Before the Chargers’ Week 5 bye, they used play-action just 25.4% of the time. And it wasn’t particularly effective, either, as quarterback Justin Herbert had a QBR of 40.1 on those plays. Some of this likely had to do with his high ankle sprain from Week 2. Still, since Week 6, they’ve run play-action 34.4% of the time and Herbert has a 61.1 QBR. He also averages 12.1 yards per completion and 7.7 yards per attempt on these plays in that span, which is higher than the first four weeks of the season.”

CBS Sports: 13 (Previous: 9)

“That was a horrible showing against the Bucs. They have lost two straight and now face a big Thursday game on the road against the Broncos.”

Sports Illustrated: 14 (Previous: 13)

“I have been accused of being a silver linings guy and that’s a disposition I’m happy to have been saddled with. So I’ll say this after the Chargers were totally boat-raced by the Buccaneers: this isn’t indicative of some developing issue, it’s merely the point in which Los Angeles’s current level of talent and health has met the realities of their situation. I think we can all agree that this team has looked and felt different than the cardiac Chargers of the past, but Jim Harbaugh was saddled with one of the worst rosters—QB removed—in the NFL and is counting on a lot of young talent.”

Bleacher Report: 13 (Previous: 10)

“Sometimes, statistics don’t tell the whole story about a team. Los Angeles came into Week 15 with the No. 1-ranked scoring defense, slowing down mediocre and below-average offenses, some of which were led by rookies. Whenever Los Angeles plays a high-scoring opponent, its defense looks more porous than stout. The Buccaneers dropped 40 points on the Chargers at SoFi Stadium, and it should leave you questioning whether this club can hang with playoff-caliber teams.”

How Week 14 loss affected Chargers place in NFL power rankings

Despite their loss on Sunday, the Chargers did not move that much in the power rankings.

The Chargers fell to 8-5 after losing to the Chiefs last Sunday.

After Week 14, let’s see where Los Angeles stands in NFL power rankings:

USA Today: 12 (Previous: 12)

“Pretty good effort Sunday night at Arrowhead, especially with RB J.K. Dobbins and WR Ladd McConkey, the Bolts’ leaders in yards from scrimmage, both unavailable. Their six turnovers are the league’s fewest, yet it still feels like a conservative, mistake-mitigating approach is one that isn’t going to pay many dividends in the playoffs.”

NFL: 9 (Previous: 9)

“With no Ladd McConkey against the Chiefs, the Chargers’ offensive struggles reached near-doldrum levels early on, coming off a win where they never reached the end zone offensively. Sunday night’s loss stings, for sure, and it gives the Bolts an idea of what more they need to do to beat quality teams. That’s now three straight one-score losses to Kansas City. Even still, Justin Herbert kept dealing and kept making big throws, and the play-action and run games both started working again. I think the offense will be OK once McConkey returns to the lineup, and as long as the Chargers don’t flounder down the stretch, they will be in the playoffs and will make for an especially thorny first-round opponent.”

ESPN: 9 (Previous: 9)

Most shocking ranking: 19th in rushing

“Throughout the offseason, Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman boasted about the dominant rushing offense they would build in L.A., but it hasn’t panned out that way. Averaging 111.5 yards per game, the rushing offense is slightly improved from where the Chargers finished last season (25th), but it has largely been a disappointment and by far the worst of Harbaugh’s NFL career. During Harbaugh and Roman’s four seasons in San Francisco, they had the second-best rushing offense in the NFL; the lowest the 49ers ranked was eighth in Harbaugh’s first season.”

CBS Sports: 9 (Previous: 8)

“That was a tough loss to the Chiefs on the road, but they rallied back and the defense played well, which has been their calling card all year. At 8-5, they would be the sixth seed right now.”

Sports Illustrated: 13 (Previous: 9)

“Quentin Johnston has had issues with his hands since college, but the explosive get off from the line of scrimmage on Sunday night against Kansas City and the ability to hold on to the ball during a massive collision was impressive. If Johnston can develop on this kind of timeline we could have a beast on our hands in Year 3.”

Bleacher Report: 10 (Previous: 9)

“Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers are more physical. They play tough defense. It’s a squad built to win. Yet they still can’t overcome the bully in the AFC West, with two regular-season losses to the Kansas City Chiefs. While Los Angeles remains in line to capture a wildcard postseason berth, it’s clear the Chargers aren’t quite ready to handle the league’s elite. A playoff run is possible, though it doesn’t feel likely since four of the Chargers’ five losses came against potential postseason opponents.”

Chargers standstill in NFL power rankings after Week 13 win over the Falcons

Despite their win on Sunday, the Chargers did not move that much in the power rankings.

The Chargers improved to 8-4 after defeating the Falcons last Sunday.

After Week 13, let’s see where Los Angeles stands in NFL power rankings:

USA Today: 12 (Previous: 13)

“QB Justin Herbert is reaching new levels of efficiency for what is still, perhaps, an overly conservative offense. But he’s joined Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay version) as the only players to pass for at least 2,500 yards and fewer than two picks in their first 12 games of a season. Herbert, whose interception rate is a league-low 0.3%, averaged 10.5 over his first four seasons.”

NFL: 9 (Previous: 9)

“The Chargers struggled all day on offense against the Falcons, allowing a shocking five sacks (to a team that had 10 total coming in) and converting on just three of 11 third downs. They placed J.K. Dobbins on injured reserve with a knee injury prior to kickoff and handed the ball off just 12 times Sunday, gaining 55 yards on those carries, while Hassan Haskins coughed up a fumble on his only touch of the game. Thankfully, the defense did its job, logging four interceptions of Kirk Cousins (including a pick-six by rookie Tarheeb Still) and stripping Cousins for what would have been a fifth turnover had the Falcons not recovered. The Bolts also held firm in the red zone, allowing Atlanta to score only one TD on four trips down there. This was a much-needed win after L.A. dropped to 7-4, but it was hardly a statement victory, featuring a reprise of some of the team’s early-season struggles on offense. The offensive line, considered to be a strength coming into the season, has been a disappointment in more games than I imagined it would be.”

ESPN: 9 (Previous: 9)

First-time Pro Bowl nominee: Wide receiver Ladd McConkey

“McConkey has emerged as one of the NFL’s best receivers this season and quarterback Justin Herbert’s most trusted target. McConkey is 13th in the NFL in receiving yards (815) and has the second-most yards among rookies. He is the first Chargers rookie wideout since Keenan Allen to have three 100-plus-yard receiving games, including 117 of the Chargers’ 150 receiving yards (78%) against the Falcons. That was the third-highest percentage of a team’s receiving yards by a single player this season.”

CBS Sports: 8 (Previous: 8)

“Winning on the road at Atlanta was a nice way to bounce back after the Ravens loss. Now comes a tough one at Kansas City against the Chiefs.”

Sports Illustrated: 9 (Previous: 9)

“Another complete and total game from the Chargers’ secondary, which is not just the Derwin James show. The Power Rankings have been a huge fan of Tarheeb Still and he had another massive game against a rusty-looking Falcons offense. Clearly, the Chargers cannot sustain this kind of pace without something developing in terms of a non-Ladd McConkey playmaker, and McConkey was banged up in two different places after carrying a 50% target share in this one and amassing almost all of Justin Herbert’s total passing yards.”

Bleacher Report: 9 (Previous: 9)

“The Chargers took advantage of some huge Atlanta mistakes to snag a win in Week 13, but I’m not sure how sustainable their formula is. Aside from getting four relatively easy interceptions, L.A.’s defense didn’t look great against the Falcons, and it wasn’t good in its previous two games either.

And with J.K. Dobbins (knee) on injured reserve, the Chargers offense looked flat-out bad against Atlanta. Ladd McConkey is quickly developing into a star receiver, but L.A. needs more than one offensive playmaker to be a serious playoff threat.”