{"id":358515,"date":"2025-12-19T15:20:08","date_gmt":"2025-12-19T15:20:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/358515\/"},"modified":"2025-12-19T15:20:08","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T15:20:08","slug":"chargers-predicted-to-crash-and-burn-with-messy-playoff-exit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/358515\/","title":{"rendered":"Chargers predicted to crash and burn with messy playoff exit"},"content":{"rendered":"

Just when it seemed like the world was starting to wake up about the Los Angeles Chargers<\/a>, here comes a brutal end-of-season and playoff projection.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Despite taking down the Super Bowl teams in back-to-back weeks with wins over the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs\u2026and despite being 5-0 in AFC West play\u2026the Chargers just aren\u2019t an attractive pick.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Granted, Chargers fans aren\u2019t strangers to having their team go overlooked on the national side. And there are problems, such as the fact Justin Herbert continues to play through an injury behind an offensive line down both Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Still, one set of NFL playoff predictions would be a disaster scenario for the Chargers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

NFL regular season and playoff predictions brutalize Chargers<\/p>\n

On paper, the Chargers should be able to finish strong. They close the season against a struggling Dallas team, then a toss-up game against Houston before an AFC West showdown with surging Denver.<\/p>\n

ESPN\u2019s set of expert predictions<\/a>, though?\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Those say the Chargers will drop the final two games, yanking Herbert from the lineup and even resting starters in the process:\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBut things got ugly in Week 17, when Houston edge rushers Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter obliterated L.A.’s weak offensive line. It was so bad that coach Jim Harbaugh pulled Justin Herbert at the start of the fourth quarter with the game out of hand. The Chargers then rested their starters in Week 18 with the No. 7 seed already locked up.\u201d<\/p>\n

“A lot of respect…”
“It’s a feeling I’ve never had before…”@chargers<\/a> teammates Derwin James Jr. & Daiyan Henley react to knocking the Chiefs out of the playoffs (@Melanie_Collins<\/a>) pic.twitter.com\/Kd6HP34kdi<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 NFL on CBS \ud83c\udfc8 (@NFLonCBS) December 14, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Despite resting starters, the predictions get even tougher for the Chargers from there: The experts have\u00a0 Jim Harbaugh\u2019s team going out sad against the second-seeded New England Patriots, 20-7.\u00a0<\/p>\n

One could argue this set of predictions coming true wouldn\u2019t classify as a season failure for the Chargers. They got hit with an unreasonable injury bug early, recovered, but ultimately could run out of gas.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But Chargers fans have seen Herbert reach some uncanny, MVP-like heights at times this season. The hope is he can do it again when his team needs it most.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Los Angeles Chargers clinch playoff berth with:
1. LAC win + IND loss or tie OR
2. LAC win + HOU loss or tie OR
3. LAC tie + IND loss OR
4. LAC tie + IND tie + HOU loss<\/p>\n

LACvsDAL \u2013 Sunday 1pm ET on FOX\/FOX Onehttps:\/\/t.co\/HkKw7uXnxV<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/rtL1wbrT4Y<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 NFL (@NFL) December 16, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

And the hope is that a just-getting-started rushing game with Omarion Hampton back and a quietly elite defense, two factors usually critical in the playoffs, can do some heavy lifting, too.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Not that the Chargers will mind getting shoved into an underdog role like this so that they can just keep on surprising people, of course.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2014 Enjoy free coverage of the Chargers from Los Angeles Chargers on SI<\/a> \u2014<\/p>\n

Sign Up For the Chargers Daily Digest – OnSI\u2019s Free Los Angeles Chargers Newsletter<\/a><\/p>\n

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