Bolts From The Blue
The Chargers will rest a number of their starters this week with the playoffs clinched, and that includes Justin Herbert and a number of their defensive leaders.
One veteran play who will certainly take the field this weekend is wide receiver Keenan Allen who is aiming for upwards of $1 million in incentives he’s closing in on with one more game to go in the regular season.
Other players who could be in line for some extra cash are cornerback Benjamin St-Juste (needs one interception) and linebacker Troy Dye (one sack) to activate a $125,000 boost for them both.
Aside from that, this game is going to be a fun watch for those who want to see the Chargers backups in action against one of the best teams in the NFL this year. Yes, it may not be fun by traditional measures, but seeing new faces on the field and letting yourself invite the unknown can be an enjoyable experience, even if you know the score may end up fairly lopsided in the worst way.
With that said, here are the final three things of the 2025 regular season that I’ll be watching for when these two teams take the field on Sunday.
Although Lance has been at every Chargers practice this year behind Herbert, it doesn’t necessarily mean the offense will remain the exact same
Lance hasn’t logged many snaps as a starter and his control of the offense is at a much lower level. He’s also been a much more avid scrambler and runner. To keep Lance safe from throwing more than he has to against a very good Denver secondary, I can see Roman truly leaning into the quarterback’s legs which would also help shorten the game. That may be something the Chargers want to do to limit the tread on his player’s tires just before the postseason.
I expect a much quicker passing attack and an amped up amount of RPOs, as well. While Herbert may not be playing in this one, I can still see it being a fun contest to take in given the unknowns about the players who will be taking the field.
This week will be the best opportunity to see the Chargers backups in action since the 2025 preseason. Except this time it’ll be after months of additional NFL experience under their belt while also facing one of the league’s best team.
In this game, I’m looking to see how the coaching staff utilizes players like seldom-used wideout KeAndre Lambert-Smith or 2025 fourth-round edger rusher Kyle Kennard. Will KLS manage to get a WR1’s workload or will that be fellow rookie Tre’ Harris? Will Kennard get the start this week next to Tuli? Bud Dupree?
Another name I’m excited to watch is former Raiders starting center Andre James who has seemingly been the team’s starting center...
