Bolts From The Blue
The Chargers ended the regular season with a wash of a game where their backups did their best against the Broncos starters. They fell 19-3 and their sights are now set squarely on their wild card matchup against the Patriots.
Let’s go ahead and see where they landed amongst the final regular season power rankings.
CBS Sports – #11
They have a defense that can win in the postseason and a quarterback who can make plays. But the offensive-line injuries might be too much to overcome. – Pete Prisco
Pro Football Talk – #11
They need more pieces to climb much higher. – Mike Florio
Yahoo Sports – #11
The Chargers going 11-6 with their injury issues, especially on the offensive line, is a testament to Jim Harbaugh. If the Chargers can somehow get defensive coordinator Jesse Minter back and also get their offensive tackles healthy, this team will be a popular Super Bowl pick next season. As is, the Chargers are a very good No. 7 seed and not an easy matchup for the Patriots in the first round. It also helps that the Chargers got some key players a week of rest. – Frank Schwab
NFL.com – #11
The Chargers seemed to be fine with the idea of going to Foxborough prior to Week 18, sitting Justin Herbert to give him a 14-day rest period as a runway to the game. Given the beating he’s taken this season, that might have been the most prudent route. Rest for the likes of Khalil Mack, Derwin James and some offensive linemen probably helped, too. Los Angeles is good enough to beat New England if Herbert has time to operate, but outside of a dominant performance at Dallas, the Bolts haven’t played great on the road down the stretch. Without a complete offensive line, it’s hard to imagine this team making a Super Bowl run. But with a capable defense and a miracle-working QB, winning a game or two wouldn’t be stunning. – Eric Edholm
The Athletic – #11
The Herbert Hive took a beating last year when the Chargers quarterback was awful — again — in the postseason. He was 14 of 32 for 242 yards, a touchdown and four interceptions, and he has only completed 52 percent of his passes in two career playoff games. Now he gets another chance, this time against a Patriots defense that is 11th in the league in passing defense based on EPA. – Josh Kendall
Sporting News – #12
The Chargers have been crumbling up front with their offensive line injuries and issues, making the pressure pile on Justin Herbert, even more so than his shaky past playoff performances. The running game isn’t always there and the defense, despite a lot of playmakers, tends to be inconsistent. Jim Harbaugh’s chances of a deep run are once again slim, still stuck as a wild card in a tough AFC field. – Vinnie Iyer
