Tag: Chargers playoffs

Chargers’ reasons for optimism vs. Jaguars in Wild Card round

Reasons why the Los Angeles Chargers will punch their ticket to the divisional round.

The Chargers will match up with the Jaguars for the second time this season, with a trip to the divisional round on the line.

After losing to Jacksonville 38-10 the first time around, Los Angeles will have to make adjustments to come away victorious.

Here are four reasons to be optimistic about LA punching its ticket to the next round.

Offensive firepower

Los Angeles may have lost to Jacksonville in Week 3, but recall the circumstances. It was the Chargers’ first complete game of managing Justin Herbert’s rib injury. They lost Joey Bosa, Rashawn Slater, and deep threat Jalen Guyton to long-term injuries mid-game. Keenan Allen did not play due to a Week 1 hamstring injury and Mike Williams had just one catch for 15 yards. Fast forward three and a half months, and things are a much different story. Rookie Jamaree Salyer has stepped in and provided stability at left tackle in Slater’s absence, a luxury not afforded to a Chargers team that used Storm Norton as his replacement in Week 3. Herbert, Allen, and Williams are all healthy. The ten points LA scored against the Jaguars in their first matchup was the lowest point total of the season for the Chargers. With everyone healthy, it should be safe to assume that Los Angeles brings more than that to the table on Saturday.

Defensive hot streak

Since squaring off against Miami, the Chargers have been lights out as a passing defense. Michael Davis has come into his own, shutting down the likes of Tyreek Hill and Courtland Sutton over his last five games. Asante Samuel Jr. has continued his solid sophomore season, while third-year safety Alohi Gilman has grown into a starting role opposite, and sometimes in place of, Derwin James Jr. Over their last three games, the Chargers have given up 160.3 passing yards per game, the seventh-best figure in the league. Their blanket coverage has also contributed to a league-best sack percentage of 14.29% in their last three contests. Jacksonville’s offense has performed all season to the tune of sixth-best in passing DVOA, and Trevor Lawrence racked up 262 yards and three passing touchdowns against the Chargers in Week 3. But that was before LA found their groove, and if they can extend the hot streak into the tournament in Lawrence’s first career playoff game, it bodes well for a Chargers victory.

Teamwide balance

Jacksonville has the edge in overall DVOA, clocking in at 13th, five spots higher than the Chargers. However, the Jaguars are buoyed by an offense that ranks 9th in DVOA, while the defense lags at 26th. For the Chargers, the offense is 19th and the defense is 16th, both more in line with the overall team ranking. At a more granular level, Jacksonville is 6th in offensive passing DVOA but 20th in rushing; the defense is 11th in rushing but 30th in passing. Those season-long trends paint a picture of a streaky team. That bears out when you look at the schedule: Jacksonville has a stretch in which they lost 6 of 7, immediately followed by a stretch in which they won 6 of 7 to end the season. In the playoffs, balance usually reigns supreme: these are the best teams in the league, and they all know how to stop you from doing what you do well. If you can pass but can’t run, or you can stop the run but not the pass, your opponent has an advantage. For LA, that advantage is there.

Championship pedigree

Brandon Staley preached veteran presence this offseason as this team prepared to make a championship run. Kyle Van Noy was signed for his hybrid role, yes, but his leadership as a two-time Super Bowl winner was just as touted by the Chargers. The since-waived Sony Michel was brought in for similar reasons before his lack of effectiveness on the field rendered him less valuable. Sebastian Joseph-Day and Morgan Fox went deep into the playoffs with Staley’s Rams in 2020 and Joseph-Day won a ring last season on the other side of LA. Even holdovers like Keenan Allen have playoff experience that they can lean on to prep younger players heading into this week. Jacksonville, on the other hand, is led by a talented squadron of younger players that don’t come prepackaged with that same experience. Trevor Lawrence and Trevor Etienne are used to playing deep into December and January as national title contenders at Clemson. Still, the NFL playoffs are usually a different animal for all but the most transcendent pros. On Saturday, it’s time for the impact that the Chargers veterans have made off the field to be felt on it.

Chargers QB Justin Herbert senses tangible improvement ahead of playoffs despite Week 18 loss

Despite the Chargers’ Week 18 loss to the Broncos, Justin Herbert saw signs of improvement in his team ahead of the playoffs.

The Chargers dropped what was considered to be a game with no implications on the line to the Broncos in the season finale. But instead, it appeared to be the polar opposite, as the starters played most of the game.

For his part, Justin Herbert is taking the Chargers’ latest loss in stride heading into the all-important elimination games in the playoffs.

The way he sees it, the team has improved in several ways despite their shortcomings against Denver and is primed for success if they can improve just a few aspects of their game.

“I think there are a lot of things that we have been able to clean up over the past couple of weeks,” Herbert explained. “As long as we are watching the film and we’re getting better and we’re being honest and being real with ourselves, we feel really comfortable with the talent that we have around us.

The offensive line, the receivers, running backs, they have done an incredible job all year. If I can just keep getting them the ball, limit turnovers, convert on third down, do the same thing week in and week out, we feel like we have gotten a lot better this year.”

Before losing to the Broncos, the Chargers had won four straight games and showed the offense finding its groove and the defense being a dominant unit.

Herbert has proven to be a consummate professional in his time under center for the Bolts, and hopes remain high that he can lead this team to success in his first trip to the playoffs.

He and the rest of Los Angeles’ roster will need to reload as they look to face their next opponent in a win-or-go-home tilt on the road against the Jaguars in the Wild Card round.

Chargers WR Mike Williams carted off with back injury

The Chargers lost a key piece of the offense in the second quarter.

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Mike Williams looks to be out for the rest of the game.

After leaving the game in the second quarter with a back injury, Williams did not rejoin the offense for their last drive of the first half. He was then carted off the field to the locker room for further evaluation.

Williams is officially questionable to return, but being carted to the locker room is generally not a great sign for the veteran receiver. His potential absence heading into the playoffs would be significantly felt by a Chargers team that was beginning to find a rhythm with him and Keenan Allen fully healthy.

Whether he’s ready to play again against the Broncos or not, it would be a surprise to see Williams back out there in a game that means nothing to Los Angeles. The team has already locked in the fifth seed in the AFC playoffs by virtue of the Ravens’ loss earlier on Sunday and will play the Jaguars on Wild Card Weekend.

Updated AFC playoff picture after wins by Chiefs, Jaguars

The final week of the 2022 regular season kicked off on Saturday, with the Chiefs and Jaguars picking up wins.

The final week of the 2022 regular season kicked off on Saturday, with the Chiefs and Jaguars picking up wins.

After the victory over the Raiders, Kansas City has officially clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Jacksonville’s win over the Titans means it is the AFC South champions and the No. 4 seed.

Updated AFC Playoff Picture entering Sunday

  1. Chiefs (14-3) — won at Raiders, clinched No. 1 seed
  2. Bills (12-3) —  vs. Patriots
  3. Bengals (11-4) — vs. Ravens
  4. Jaguars (8-8) — won vs. Jaguars, clinched No. 4 seed
  5. Chargers (10-6) — at Broncos
  6. Ravens (10-6) — at Bengals
  7. Patriots (8-8) — at Bills

On the bubble

  • Dolphins (8-8) — vs. Jets
  • Steelers (8-8) — vs. Browns

For the Chargers, if the Ravens lose to the Bengals at 10 am PT, they will clinch the No. 5 seed and face the Jaguars next weekend. However, if Baltimore beats Cincinnati, Los Angeles will have to beat the Broncos to clinch the fifth seed.

If the Ravens beat the Bengals and the Bolts lose to the Broncos, L.A. will be the sixth seed and take on Cincinnati in the Wild Card round.

Chargers’ Joey Bosa reveals battle with food poisoning ahead of return in Week 17

Joey Bosa had a little setback in his first game since Week 3.

Chargers star edge defender Joey Bosa returned to the field last Sunday in the victory over the Rams. Bosa had been out since Week 3 with a groin injury that he had to have surgery on.

Bosa was on a snap count restriction to get back to the speed of live-game action. He played 24 defensive snaps and logged three pressures.

While it was refreshing to see him back on the field, refreshed was not entirely how Bosa felt in his return. He had food poisoning that hit him the night before the game.

“I had gotten food poisoning on Saturday, so it was a kind of a rough outing,” Bosa said. “But other than that, my groin felt good. My mind was kind of somewhere else, luckily, so I wasn’t worrying about my groin as much.

“Kind of crappy luck, pun intended, with my first game back. My girlfriend is not going to be my chef ever again.”

Bosa is not entirely sure, but he felt like it was some fish that caused him to feel sick. He became dehydrated but was able to make a quick recovery with a six-hour turnaround from kickoff.

“Felt a bit weak,” Bosa said. “There’s a lot of variables going on, so it’s hard to know why I was feeling that way. But I think I was definitely a little run down from being dehydrated and not getting some food in me, and obviously being my first game back, but I thought I felt pretty good, need to get my wind back.”

Bosa added that it felt good to get reps again to build up ahead of the playoffs. He expects to receive more snaps this weekend against the Broncos than he did in Week 17. Then, he should be back up to a full workload when the playoffs start.

“It’s super exciting,” Bosa said on the playoffs. “Last time I was in the playoffs, it was the same deal with my foot injury. But like I said last week, I’m feeling much better this year and much more confident going into these games than I did that year.”

Bosa has been to the playoffs once, back in 2018, when the Chargers beat the Ravens in the Wild Card round but lost to the Patriots in the Divisional round. That year, he had a foot injury that he sustained in training camp, re-injured in Week 1, and didn’t return until Week 11.

Chargers could be positioned to rest starters vs. Broncos

The Chargers could really benefit from this.

Coming into the week, Chargers head coach Brandon Staley had no intentions of resting starters in the Week 18 matchup with the Broncos. But his tone changed on Wednesday.

With the NFL setting the start time for the Bengals and Ravens, Los Angeles might have a different approach to the season finale. If Cincinnati beats Baltimore, L.A. will lock up the fifth seed, even if they lose to Denver.

Initially, the start time of this AFC North matchup was “to be determined.” However, kickoff is now set for 10 am PT, while the Bolts and Broncos start time is 1 pm PT.

“Once we find out about that game, then we’ll make the appropriate decisions moving forward,” Staley said.

If the Chargers can afford to rest some of their key players for most of, if not the entire game, this would be the most ideal scenario, considering this was the most injured team throughout the regular season.

Now finally close to full health and they’ve shown to play at a high level during their four-game win streak with a nearly complete roster, Los Angeles could be a threat come playoff time.

L.A. would then know its opponent by Saturday night, as the winner between the Titans and Jaguars will lock up the AFC South and fourth seed. Kickoff for that game is set for 5:15 pm PT on Jan. 7.

How far will the Chargers go in the playoffs?

Can the Los Angeles Chargers make some serious noise in the playoffs?

The Chargers are heading to the playoffs for the first time since 2018.

Despite facing a multitude of injuries throughout the season, L.A. overcame them by having a robot under center, Brandon Staley turning the defense around in the final quarter of the season, and the special teams being special all year.

Los Angeles got Joey Bosa back last week, and the only missing piece that could potentially be back for the postseason is Rashawn Slater, the young sensational left tackle.

This offense is as good as it’s been all the season, and the defense has been red hot. Couple that with having most of their key players back, and this team could make some serious noise.

What happens if Los Angeles gets the fifth seed and plays the AFC South winner between the Jaguars and Titans? Will they win? After that, a second win? A conference championship? Their first Lombardi Trophy in franchise history?

Vote in the poll below.

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Chargers WR Keenan Allen making big impact since his return

Chargers WR Keenan Allen’s performances continue to get stronger by the week.

Since the Chargers have been riddled with injuries from the start of the season, several key players have been missed, including wide receiver Keenan Allen who is an essential piece of the offense.

Allen was absent for most of the first half of the season due to a hamstring injury. But since his return, he’s made his presence felt, and his performances continue to get stronger by the week.

On Monday night, Chargers fans saw a classic performance from Allen, where he had 11 catches for 104 yards against the Colts. This was his first 100-yard performance of the season.

“I liked how we were able to locate Keenan today with 11 receptions,” Staley said at his post-game press conference on Monday.

Through the last four games, he’s racked up 37 catches for 370 yards and a touchdown. He’s averaging 12.8 targets, 9.3 receptions and 92.5 receiving yards since Week 13.

Although Allen missed a portion of the season, it seems as though the veteran is getting hot at the right time. He will be an integral piece in an offense that needs to get rolling in these final two games ahead of the playoffs.

Chargers battle adversity to clinch playoff berth

The Chargers clinched the playoffs, despite a multitude of injuries throughout the season.

Resilience and adversity are two things the Chargers are very familiar with.

At the beginning of the season, there were high expectations that the Bolts would be lethal playoff contenders. However, those expectations were quickly dismissed when several starters fell to injury early in the season.

Los Angeles began the season 1-2. Then, they were 4-3 during the bye week. And then, after being 5-3, the middle portion of the season wasn’t so pretty, as the team entered the month of December with a 6-6 record.

Nevertheless, the Bolts rallied to win three consecutive games with a defense that finally found its groove, despite missing star safety Derwin James for those contests and an offense orchestrated by quarterback Justin Herbert.

On Monday night, the Chargers clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2018 following their 20-3 win over the Colts.

“It’s just the beginning. This is just the beginning. This is not our final goal,” head coach Brandon Staley said. “We expected to be at this point. I’m really proud of how this season has gone for our football team and what we’ve been able to demonstrate in order to make it into the postseason.

“That’s probably what I’m most proud of,” Staley added. “Not just being in it, but how we made it. What it took for us to get in. But this is just the beginning for us.”

Los Angeles still has two games remaining against the Broncos and Rams, which will dictate its playoff seeding.

“Everything we worked for, everything we were here for … we are in the fight,” wide receiver Keenan Allen said.

It hasn’t been a seamless season for the Bolts, but resilience and adversity are two qualities that shape a championship team. There is no question that a winning team is talented, but are they tough enough to make it to the very end?

“I think for far too long, people have talked about the talent of this football team and the organization. That’s ultimately not what gets you where you want to go,” Staley said.

“You have to prove your toughness, and that’s what we’ve proven so far this year, that we have a tough enough football team — mentally and physically — to be where we are right now, which is in the tournament.”

The Chargers couldn’t have hit their stride at a better time, and they should only benefit from getting back key players in edge defender Joey Bosa and offensive tackle Rashawn Slater from their perspective injuries.

As Allen said, the Bolts are in the fight, and they will look to make a run when postseason play begins.

Top Twitter reactions to Chargers’ win over Colts, clinching playoff spot

How the internet reacted to the Chargers’ win over the Colts on Monday night.

The Chargers are playoff bound after their 20-3 win over the Colts. This will be the Bolts’ first playoff appearance since 2018.

Los Angeles earned its second three-game win streak to earn its spot in the Super Wild Card Weekend.

Here’s how Twitter reacted to the Chargers’ victory and clinching a playoff spot: