A serious alternative is staring the Los Angeles Chargers within the face on Monday evening.
The Chargers can take an enormous step within the AFC playoff image by beating the visiting Philadelphia Eagles on the primetime stage.
However lose to the defending Tremendous Bowl champions and the Chargers are going to search out themselves in a battle to assert one of many convention’s three wild-card berths.
Los Angeles (8-4) is three victories behind the AFC West-leading Denver Broncos (11-2) so the division race is a one-horse Mile Excessive trot. The main focus for the Chargers is incomes a wild card.
After the sport in opposition to the Eagles, the Chargers have back-to-back street video games in opposition to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys as a part of three away contests in 4 weeks to shut the common season.
The go to to Kansas Metropolis will come on a brief week because of the Monday recreation and likewise consists of journey to the Midwest after the Chiefs performed at house on Sunday. To not point out that Kansas Metropolis (6-7) is aware of it could possibly’t lose one other recreation if it needs its playoff aspirations to have legit life.
Beating the Eagles can be an enormous deal for the Chargers as it might give them the identical document because the Buffalo Payments (9-4) and place them one recreation forward of the charging Houston Texans and the embattled Indianapolis Colts.
The Baltimore Ravens (6-7) may make a run however their finest wager is overtaking the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6) – who they misplaced to on Sunday – within the AFC North race.
You possibly can see that getting win No. 9 on Monday can be enormous for the Chargers.
The well being of quarterback Justin Herbert additionally shall be key in opposition to the Eagles.
Herbert has a damaged bone in his left (non-throwing) hand and underwent surgical procedure final Monday afternoon. He had a plate and a number of screws inserted into the hand. He was a restricted follow participant all week because the Chargers did all they may to maintain him away from contact.
Many of the snaps on Monday will undoubtedly come out of the shotgun formation and Herbert has positively taken a whatever-it-takes outlook.
“I’m doing all the pieces I can to be on the market,” Herbert stated. “I’d struggle by means of something for these guys. However on the finish of the day, you’ve obtained to be life like and hearken to the docs, as a result of they know finest. We’ll see the way it goes.”
Herbert has handed for two,842 yards and 21 touchdowns in opposition to 10 interceptions and is firmly established among the many high 10 quarterbacks within the NFL.
At age 27, Herbert already has thrown 158 profession landing passes. Solely John Hadl (201), Corridor of Famer Dan Fouts (254) and chief Philip Rivers (397) have amassed extra for the franchise.
However we’re reaching the purpose the place Herbert wants to steer some playoff runs. He’s in his sixth season and has by no means gained a playoff recreation. And proper now, the sudden decline of the Chiefs is opening the door for different AFC groups.
It additionally doesn’t damage that the Broncos and New England Patriots are the shock high two groups within the convention by means of Week 14.
The Chargers haven’t gained a single playoff recreation for the reason that 2018 season. That’s so way back that Rivers, Antonio Gates and Melvin Gordon performed for the membership.
And who can neglect that humiliating collapse in Jacksonville when Herbert and the 2022 version of the franchise blew a 27-point lead and misplaced 31-30 on a Jaguars discipline purpose as time expired?
And final season? Herbert threw 4 interceptions throughout a one-sided 32-12 playoff loss to the Texans.
So if the Chargers are going to be a critical contender for, say, an AFC Championship Recreation look, they should beat the Eagles. The late-season run unofficially begins Monday.
