L.A. Chargers have very little to play for in Week 18 against Chiefs

No one should expect to see the Chargers, well, charged up to play the Chiefs in the final game of the season.

There's a reason the Kansas City Chiefs versus the Los Angeles Chargers game in Week 18 hasn't been flexed to a sexier spot on the weekend's calendar. What began as a game with logistics labeled "to be determined" has been given a lazy Sunday afternoon slot due to the fact that there's so little drama involved.

For the Chiefs, it's likely going to be a week to mostly rest the majority of their starting players in the hopes of getting a bit healthier before the postseason begins. Since K.C. missed out on the top seed in the conference, Andy Reid has already given indications that it will be Blaine Gabbert instead of Patrick Mahomes under center and the dominoes fall from there.

What's interesting is that the Chargers are likely to be as lifeless as the Chiefs in this one. This is a team with significant roster changes to make under a leadership regime yet to be hired. ln short, it's a roster ready to put this season behind them and the Chiefs are the only thing that stands in their way before a long offseason.

We wanted to find out more about the Chargers' mindset at this stage and what, if anything, they're playing for in Week 18. So we reached out to our friend Jason Reed, editor at Bolt Beat, to hear more about the Chargers at this stage of the year.

Let’s start at quarterback. The Easton Stick experience. Is there anything special at all there?

Easton Stick has not jumped out as someone who should be the long-term backup QB behind Justin Herbert. This was a huge chance for Stick to prove that he could keep the team afloat if called upon in a situation that actually mattered in the future and he has not proven capable of doing so. Barring a breakout game unlike his other performances this season, the Chiefs shouldn't expect anything of note out of Stick.

What level of competitive fire have you seen from both sides of the ball in the last few weeks?

The team was its most competitive in the first game without Brandon Staley against the Buffalo Bills. Against the Denver Broncos, those effort levels came back down to earth some as this season has been over for the Chargers for a month now. With injuries mounting on the roster, I would expect there to be a lot of back-end roster players to play in Week 18. They may be competitively juiced more than the traditional starters as they have something to prove.

Are there any young players who’ve emerged as future contributors in the second half of this season?

Nobody has really jumped out, unfortunately. Tuli Tuipulotu and Derius Davis are the two big rookies who have been great for the team but neither are new developments. If anything, Tuipulotu has stagnated in the second half of the season. This is what should concern Chargers fans the most. In theory, this last quarter of the season should have been an opportunity to build toward the future with young players and that is not what has happened.

We'd love to hear your prediction and why for Sunday afternoon.

The only notable thing from Sunday's game is that Taylor Swift will be in attendance. It will be the battle of movable force vs stoppable object as a bad, injury-laden Chargers team will play a team full of Chiefs backups who have absolutely nothing to play for as the third seed is locked in regardless.

In a perfect world, the Chargers will lose this game and guarantee a top-six pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. My official prediction is that there will be at least five field goals in this game and the final score will be under 40 combined points. As far as a winner is concerned, that is hard to pick considering the circumstances.