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There are still two weeks left in the NFL regular season, and Year 1 under Jim Harbaugh is going almost exactly as planned for the Los Angeles Chargers.
At 9-6, the Chargers are having their best season since 2022, when they finished 10-7 and made their last postseason appearance. Although they’ve significantly improved from their dismal 5-12 campaign last year, they still won’t dethrone the Kansas City Chiefs from their reign atop the AFC West. For now, finishing second in the division will have to suffice. But there's still work to be done if this team wants to officially punch its ticket to the AFC playoffs.
Of the seven seeds in the NFL playoffs, five have already been clinched. Currently, the Chargers are holding the No. 6 seed, with the Denver Broncos (9-6) right behind them in the No. 7 slot, yet neither officially holding those spots just yet. Los Angeles holds a tiebreaker over Denver based on head-to-head win percentage, according to ESPN.
However, the Indianapolis Colts (7-8) and Miami Dolphins (7-8), currently the first two teams out of the AFC playoff picture, are lurking in the background, hoping for a stumble from both AFC West contenders.
While this team has looked playoff-caliber for much of the season, the Chargers haven’t exactly been at their best over the past month. After starting 7-3, they’ve gone 2-3 in their last five games with two contests remaining. Though they did beat the Broncos in Week 16.
So, how can Los Angeles solidify its place in the postseason?
It's simple for the Chargers
If the Chargers want to avoid any complications, the formula is straightforward: win on Saturday, and they clinch a playoff spot. The team will head out for the first of two road games to close the season, starting with the New England Patriots. Although the Patriots (3-12) have been one of the league’s worst teams this season, they haven’t been easy opponents lately.
New England has lost five straight and six of their last eight, but four of those losses were by one score or less, including a three-point loss to the AFC’s No. 2 seed Buffalo Bills in Week 16.
Under Harbaugh, the Chargers have managed to avoid major upset disasters—something that was far too common under previous regimes. If they want to keep their playoff destiny entirely in their hands, they simply need to take care of business on Saturday.
But what if the Chargers lose to the Patriots?
If the Chargers falter against New England, there’s still a Plan B. However, that’s not a scenario Harbaugh or quarterback Justin Herbert want to entertain. Herbert has already endured his fair share of heartbreak and postseason-missing disasters early in his career.
A Chargers loss would mean waiting until Sunday to see if other teams help them sneak into the playoffs. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be just one game Los Angeles needs to watch—it would be multiple.
The Chargers would need the Colts to lose to the New York Giants in the early 1 p.m. ET game and the Dolphins to fall to the Cleveland Browns in the 4:30 p.m. ET slot.
Though both the Colts and Dolphins have struggled with consistency this year, the teams they’ll be facing—New York and Cleveland—have been even worse.
The Giants, in particular, have been abysmal. After losing their 10th consecutive game in Week 16, they’ve fallen to 2-13 and are firmly in contention for the No. 1 overall draft pick, not a playoff spot.
As for the Browns, they’re sitting at 3-12, having lost four straight and five of their last six. Even the weather forecast, with temperatures expected to be in the upper 40s on Sunday, doesn’t offer much of an edge against the warm-weather Dolphins.
If you’re a Chargers fan, the ideal scenario is simple: don’t leave it to chance. Win on Saturday and secure your spot in the AFC playoffs.
