5. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
It has been a memorable ride for the Chargers. In Anthony Lynn‘s second season with Los Angeles, the Chargers have the chance to put together a Super Bowl run. For Philip Rivers, this would be his first Super Bowl. Rivers, a likely Hall-of-Famer will leave it all on the field this season. With key play-makers Keenan Allen, Melvin Gordon and the potential return of tight end Hunter Henry, the offense seems to be at its best all season.
Furthermore, the Chargers defense is playing very well as of late. For many, the Chargers are the dark horse for the Super Bowl and the case could be made that they are the best team in the AFC. They certainly deserve to be a higher seed than the fifth. For the Chiefs, the Chargers are nothing that they haven’t seen before; However, they certainly are not a team that should be overlooked.
Offensively:
As aforementioned, Philip Rivers is playing for his first Super Bowl. With the NFL’s 11th best offense, the Chargers are a dangerous team on any given Sunday. Gordon is back in the full swing of the offense. Allen has been one of the most productive wide receivers in the NFL this season. Williams has been a touchdown scoring machine this season. Yes, the Chargers are a scary matchup for any defense.
Gordon is an all-purpose back who has improved every season. Not only did he lead the team in rushing with 885 yards despite missing four games, he was also second on the team in receptions. Of the teams on the AFC side of the bracket, it is difficult to find a better overall running back than Gordon. If the Chiefs are tasked with stopping the Chargers at Arrowhead, Melvin Gordon will be public enemy #1.
Allen became Philip Rivers go-to target when Gordon went down with injury. With great fluidity in his route running and a good burst, Allen is a matchup nightmare. The Chiefs did not have to face him after he exited the game early due to injury. Had Allen played the entire game, the outcome may have been different. As the NFL’s 12th best in the receptions category, it seems likely that he will get a lot of targets in the playoffs.
The Chiefs know who Williams is. He is the guy that seemed to single-handedly suck the life out of the Chiefs chances in their last showdown. Williams caught the go-ahead and eventually winning two-point conversion that sealed the Chiefs fate. Finding the end zone has not been uncommon for Williams as he has scored 10 receiving touchdowns on fewer than 50 receptions. He has been an incredible red zone target all year long and if Hunter Henry is able to come back, the Chargers may be incredibly difficult to stop inside the 20 yard line.
Defensively:
Because I keep a particularly close eye on the AFC West, I can’t help but notice how talented the Chargers defense is. To me, they have actually underperformed to what they are capable of. They finished number nine in total yards allowed and were exceptionally good against the pass allowing only an average of 227.9 passing yards per game.
With the young and talented players on the roster, the defense is set up for success in the coming years. Joey Bosa, despite missing a lot of time, has been dominant; Recording 5.5 sacks in 7 games. Paired with Melvin Ingram, the pass rush is lethal. On the back end, rookie Derwin James has been one of the NFL’s most efficient safeties not only recording three interceptions, but also recording 3.5 sacks.
If the Chargers are playing their best on defense, there are very few teams that can top their overall talent. Mahomes and company would face an incredible challenge in the Divisional Round if they are tasked with the Chargers. Joey Bosa and Derwin James alone are scary enough without adding the likes of Casey Hayward and Melvin Ingram to the discussion.
Ranking and analysis:
The Chargers have a real chance of winning the Super Bowl. What they lack in explosivity on offense, they more than make up for with fundamentally sound football. This would be the storybook season for Rivers if they could manage to get through the Chiefs to an eventual Super Bowl. That being said, I would feel the most comfortable facing the Chargers making them number one of the three AFC Divisional opponents.
The most important stat is NOT how many times the Chiefs have defeated the Chargers recently. The most important thing to remember is a.) how good Andy Reid has been historically off of a bye week and b.) how successful he has been against familiar teams.
While the Chargers have a very talented team and a solid record, they have had a relatively easy schedule. In fact, they have lost to three of their five matchups with playoff teams this season. If not for a miraculous downfall from the Chiefs, they would have lost four of five. I just don’t trust the Chargers to march into Arrowhead Stadium and win again.