The NFL world is beginning to take notice of the 2024-25 Los Angeles Chargers. The Bolts’ divisional Week 16 matchup against the Denver Broncos has become the first-ever NFL game to be flexed to Thursday Night, taking the Bengals and Browns out of primetime and into the early Sunday slate.
Flexing a game into a Thursday night will have its effects that will only be understood after this first one comes and goes, but that is not the story of this game. As Sean Payton’s Broncos travel to SoFi Stadium to take on Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers, America will be tuned in. Oregon alumni Bo Nix and Justin Herbert will lead their offenses, hoping to take a big game that could decide playoff seeding.
With that being said, however, the NFL flexing yet another Chargers game into a primetime slot shows that the league is finally taking notice of how good the Chargers have been this year. They’ve been outperforming their roster all season, and with five primetime games currently scheduled, they’re getting booked like it, too.
The narrative around their season completely changed after their victory against the Bengals, with Monday Night vs. the Ravens being yet another big game for the Bolts. They still have to go up against the Chiefs in primetime before they face the Broncos as well. With the Chargers already 7-3, going two-for-seven to finish out the season could still result in a playoff spot.
Their only must-win will be that Broncos game. Playing a team like the Texans or possibly the Steelers in the first round is something they should hope for, with either of those teams providing LA a more possible window to the Divisional Round. If they can win the Broncos game and even just one more to finish out the season, they’re in a good spot heading to the playoffs. However, given their schedule, they have even more games than that they should be favorites in (Patriots, Raiders, Falcons).
The Chargers look to continue their hot streak against the Ravens on Monday Night. That will be a clash of Harbaugh football, with Jim and John facing off for the first time since their Super Bowl matchup, with John and the Ravens beating Jim’s 49ers. While nobody will have the Chargers as the favorite in this game, there’s no doubt that they could come away with this game.
Monday Night will come down to which Harbaugh makes less mistakes. Whoever plays cleaner will win, and that is what Jim excels at. Whether the Chargers win or not, if they play the Ravens hard and show that they could’ve beaten them on another night, they’re in a good spot.
After the Ravens game, their next big night is their rematch against the Chiefs. Playing Kansas City hard will not be a problem, as it is something they have done in every matchup for years. One thing to keep an eye out for is how close their Week Four matchup was with a banged-up offensive line for the Chargers.
Assuming their top players will be healthy, there is a world where the Chargers can take down the Chiefs for the first time since Justin Herbert’s sophomore year. If they beat the Chiefs, they will be riding a lot of momentum against Denver. To reiterate, the Chargers have set themselves up beautifully heading into the home stretch of the season, and they can now see themselves making a run for the top seed in the AFC if everything goes their way. Even if they can’t top the Chiefs, the playoffs are nearly a guarantee, and they’re now just fighting to play weaker competition in the first round.