WEEK 1 vs. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
The Chargers will be playing in the second NFL game hosted by Brazil, but the only problem is that they have to go through their big brother in the division: the Kansas City Chiefs. As much as we want to laugh at the national media for saying that Patrick Mahomes is the GOAT if he wins a third straight Super Bowl, I can understand what started this discussion. The Kansas City Chiefs have been one of the most dominant dynasties in the league and their quarterback has been the biggest reason why. As long as they have him healthy, they are the class of the AFC. Fortunately for them, the core is still intact. Isaiah Pacheco is one of the angriest running backs in the league and does a better job of getting yards after contact than most other players at his position. They are even bringing Kareem Hunt back, who did a tremendous job in emergency duty when Pacheco got hurt. The passing game will still focus on Travis Kelce and Xavier Worthy, but Kansas City made sure to keep around Hollywood Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster as reliable supporting options. There is also tight end Noah Gray, who is arguably the best backup player at his position, with the exception of Isaiah Likely. Yet, that was not the biggest issue with this offense. Surprisingly, it was the offensive line. To fix their drastic need at left tackle, not only did they sign Jaylon Moore in free agency, but drafted Josh Simmons with their first round pick. Joe Thuney unfortunately got traded to Chicago, but the good news was that Kansas City kept Trey Smith and Creed Humphrey. It appears that Mike Caliendo will be the starting left guard and he proved to be a serviceable placeholder, so let’s hope that it will not be a liability once again.
Over the past few seasons, Steve Spagnuolo has slowly but surely turned this defense into one of the best units in all of football. The biggest reason why is because of their front seven, which opens up the blitz and features several key playmakers. Chris Jones is still playing at an elite level, George Karlaftis deserves a huge payday for how tremendous he has been since he arrived, Mike Danna has developed into a bluechip edge rusher, and I cannot wait to see how Felix Anudike-Uzomah does in what should be a breakout year. Their linebacker room is stacked with Drue Tranquill and Nick Bolton plugging up the middle, with Leo Chenal and Jack Cochrane on time when you need the call. The secondary is stacked with younger talent like Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, Jaden Hicks, Bryan Cook, and Chamarri Conner. With Kristian Fulton the newest addition, this is a group that can most definitely keep this team in Super Bowl contention.
These matchups between Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert are always fun to watch because they go down to the wire. However, the latter has only beaten the three time Super Bowl champion quarterback once in his entire lifetime. Normally, Kansas City does very well in the first week of the season, so the only way I can believe the Chargers will win is if I actually see it myself.
WEEK 2 @ LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
Last season, the Chargers finally managed to beat an inferior Raiders team twice, after splitting the series for four straight years. However, I think Las Vegas has a strong chance of pulling off an upset. Geno Smith and Pete Carroll are back together, which means the two are probably not going to win less than seven games this season. Actually, if you look at the rest of their roster, it feels like watching the Seahawks in an entirely different conference, but there are a few modifications. The Raiders drafted the Heisman winning running back Ashton Jeanty with their first round pick, which was a huge need because this team has not had a powerful player at that position since Josh Jacobs. However, the passing game still gives me some questions. They might have Brock Bowers, one of the more generational tight ends in the league, but the wide receiver room is lackluster. I like Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker, but they are not quality number one options, so maybe Jack Bech will jump onto the radar and surprise us out of nowhere. Their offensive line is also a pretty substandard unit that allowed the eighth most sacks in the league, so I do not think that signing Alex Cappa in free agency did not make them a better unit. Nor does hiring Chip Kelly as your offensive coordinator! It was an issue when Pete Carroll was in Seattle and I am scared it is going to linger again in Sin City.
If there is one thing that I hope Carroll does well with this team, it is make sure the defense is not set back a decade. You have an unstoppable menace in Maxx Crosby, but the rest of the supporting cast is just average at best. Christian Wilkins is coming back from injury, Tyree Wilson has not lived up to the first round hype, and they did not do enough to address the linebacking room after Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo left in free agency. I think Germaine Pratt is a solid tackler, but there is not too much depth at his position. The other three veterans in that group are Elandon Roberts, Devin White, and Jaylon Smith. The one thing that all of them have in common is that they have not been good in three to five years. Hopefully there is a younger player that could surprise us out of nowhere, but I truly do not know who that will be right now. The secondary also lost some key pieces like Tre’von Moehrig and Nate Hobbs, but I honestly like the guys that will take their place. I have always been a fan of Jeremy Chinn, and I believe that both Isaiah Pola-Mao and Jakorian Bennett took big leaps in 2024. I do not expect it to be a great unit, but I think they can be pretty good against certain foes.
This game will be on Monday Night Football, so all eyes are going to enjoy the return of the rivalry between Jim Harbaugh and Pete Carroll. If Derek Carr can beat Drew Brees on the same stage in the stadium, then I do not think it is impossible to see Geno Smith outplay Justin Herbert. It happened once a few years ago and it could happen again. This is going to be a feisty grudge match, but if the Chargers defense gives Geno any late chances to win the game, then they might regret it when the clock hits zero.
WEEK 3 vs. DENVER BRONCOS
I am sure that everybody will be disappointed if the Chargers start the year 0-2, but if that is the case, then I have faith they can get their first win against Denver at home. However, that is going to be a tall task to accomplish since they are also a team that stunned everybody by making it back to the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade. Their offense was not the strongest unit in the league, but thanks to Sean Payton, their signal caller Bo Nix managed to improve week after week and blossomed as a face of the franchise. However, I did not see their offense get drastically better in the offseason. They did not solve a ton of their issues with the running game, their only notable signing on that front was tight end Evan Engram, and they did not sign another veteran wide receiver to aid Courtland Sutton. My guess is that Payton wants some of the younger players like Devaughn Vele, Marvin Mims, and especially Troy Franklin to form themselves into a legitimate receiving corps. Thankfully, they have one of the more improved offensive lines in the league, so it is not like they will not be given the chance to succeed.
What makes this a drastic challenge is the Broncos defense, which surged in several categories. They led the league in sacks, finished third in rush yards allowed and points allowed, and ranked eighth in takeaways. Their pass rush has an abundance of key playmakers starting with Nik Bonitto and working down to the likes of John Franklin-Myers, Zach Allen, and Jonathon Cooper. Denver boosted their run defense by signing Dre Greenlaw to boost the younger guys like Dondrea Tillman and Jonah Elliss. Did I forget to mention that Alex Singleton is coming back from a torn ACL? The secondary, however, is the most lethal group in my opinion. They have the reigning Defensive Player of the Year in Patrick Surtain II. They drafted Jahdae Barron in the first round as an elite second option. Talanoa Hufanga and Brandon Jones are the two spearheads at safety, while JaQuan McMillian will secure his spot as the nickel back. I never thought Vance Joseph of all coordinators would be the one to put that defense in this position, but he has done a tremendous job over the last season and a half, meaning that he could get another chance to be a head coach.
Justin Herbert has not lost a game to the Broncos at home in his entire NFL career and I do not expect that streak to end any time soon. I expect this game to come down to the wire with both offenses struggling to get points on the board, but if Herbert puts Cameron Dicker in position to get the job done, then that will be more than enough to finally get in the win column.
WEEK 4 @ NEW YORK GIANTS
It is crazy to think that this is the first time that Justin Herbert will play the Giants at MetLife Stadium, but I expect it to be well worth the wait. As much as I want to have faith in Brian Daboll, I seriously do not understand this team’s vision. They signed Russell Wilson, then traded up for Jaxson Dart in the first round. They have a promising running back in Tyrone Tracy, but drafted Cam Skattebo. Malik Nabers is a stud at wide receiver, but the next best options are Darius Slayton and Wan’Dale Robinson, both inconsistent in their respective positions. At least Andrew Thomas is coming back to stabilize the offensive line, but with the uncertainty at the quarterback position, who knows how many times that group will be set up to fail? One more horrid start and John Mara is cleaning house.
Hopefully, the defense emerges out of the shadows and gives us promising flashes throughout the season. Their pass rush is stacked with the likes of Abdul Carter, Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Dexter Lawrence. They added Chauncey Golston and Roy Robertson-Harris to solidify that front, but the run defense has been underwhelming with Bobby Okereke and Micah McFadden leading the way. What I am really going to pay attention to is their secondary because the Giants made sure to overhaul it in the offseason. They brought in Paulson Adebo to be their number one corner, signed the best safety in free agency in Jevon Holland to man the deep end, and are hoping for breakout seasons from Andru Phillips and Tyler Nubin. Yet, the biggest disappointment in that group has been Deonte Banks, who has not lived up to the first round pedigree he had as he allowed six touchdowns just last season.
I am going to guess that Russell Wilson is the starting quarterback in this game since it is still early in the season, but the biggest reason why I am giving the Chargers the advantage is because of their defense. I personally do not know what to expect from either Wilson or Herbert in this game, but I have more faith in the latter to not screw things up. Also, if their season starts out exactly the way I think, I seriously doubt that LA is going to fall to 1-3 before October arrives.
WEEK 5 vs. WASHINGTON COMMANDERS
I had a really tough time picking the winner of this matchup because the Washington Commanders have elevated themselves into a tier for the first time in over thirty years: Super Bowl contenders. The biggest reason why is that their quarterback has emerged as a superstar that lifted them to the conference championship game, so he is hoping that they get further this time around and have a happier ending. The supporting cast around him did not change drastically from last year. Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler have been a solid running back tandem, Terry McLaurin is easily one of the more underappreciated receivers in football, they just acquired Deebo Samuel as an extra option, and Zach Ertz returned to being the reliable security blanket that everybody wants in their offense. Washington also made sure to address its offensive line by trading for Laremy Tunsil, so let’s hope that he is not one of the more penalized tackles in the league this time around. However, it is a group that allowed the seventh most sacks, so it is not like Washington is going to have an unbelievable offense that cannot be stopped. Fortunately, they drafted Josh Connerly Jr. as a future starter at right tackle, so the Commanders made sure to address the two most important positions on that front.
Their defense is a very unique one run by Dan Quinn. They do not have too many household names, but it is a group that is opportunistic and one you do not want to turn the ball over against. Jonathan Allen is gone, but they still have a franchise cornerstone in Da’Ron Payne along with a quality starter in Dorance Armstrong to lead the pass rush. The Commanders are also expecting Jer’Zhawn Newton to take the next step at defensive tackle and even signed Javon Kinlaw to give him a bigger role. Bobby Wagner is still playing at a high level and Frankie Luvu has been more than an exceptional complement to have in the linebacker room, but the secondary is one that I am hoping shows signs of improvement. Hopefully, Marshon Lattimore can have a full and healthy season to remind us why he is still one of the best corners in football. Mike Sainristil will be in the slot and Jonathan Jones is expected to be another outside defender, which is not the most ideal situation, but you at least have proven starters. However, one player that I have high hopes for is safety Quan Martin. He totaled eighty-seven tackles last year and showed up huge in the playoffs, the type of player that Dan Quinn loves to have on a daily basis.
Having said all of this, I actually believe the Chargers can pull off the upset. One reason is because they are at home, but let’s really put this matchup in its proper perspective. Obviously, the Commanders had an outstanding season last year and nobody should take it away from them. But when you really think about it, their performances against top ten defenses were pretty subpar. Yes, they beat the Eagles in December, but that was mainly because Jalen Hurts suffered a concussion in the first half. I am not saying that the Chargers are just as good as the Eagles, but I think if their defense can pick up where they left off last year, then their offense can wear down this Washington defense down the stretch.
WEEK 6 @ MIAMI DOLPHINS
This is another matchup that leaves me conflicted because even though the Dolphins should be a championship contender on paper, their self-inflicted failures over the past few years make them look nothing more than a mediocre pretender. Tua Tagovailoa has proven to be a solid NFL quarterback, but his health has always been the biggest X factor for this football team, and the team plummets when he is not on the field. It should not be the case because this offense has a boatload of speed and talent. De’Von Achane has emerged as the starting running back and Jaylen Wright is hoping to break out in his sophomore season. The top two receiving options are Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, they just signed Nick Westbrook-Ikhine to give this offense more verticality, and Jonnu Smith surprised a lot of people with a productive 2024 season. The only real liability that this group has is their offensive line. Terron Armstead retired, the interior is a mess, and Austin Jackson is the only consistent veteran they have. Hopefully, their second round pick Jonah Savaiinaea turns into a solid player, but center Aaron Brewer and left tackle Larry Borom should not be full time starters at the most important positions on the front five.
The Dolphins better hope that they do not suffer any injuries with their offense, or else that defense is going to get eaten alive, especially since Jalen Ramsey might be traded before the season begins. It is a unit that has a likable coordinator in Anthony Weaver Jr. and promising young pieces like Chop Robinson, Tyrel Dodson, and rookie Kenneth Grant. Yet, I don’t see any depth whatsoever. Jevon Holland left in free agency, Kendall Fuller and Nik Needham were released, Jordan Poyer was not brought back, and Calais Campbell left to go back to Arizona for what might be his last season. Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips cannot stay healthy, Zach Sieler is nearing thirty years old at an extremely physical position, and Miami has nobody else in their secondary that has been a proven shutdown defender. Kader Kohou is probably the closest one, but he is mainly a nickel corner, so there is nobody on the outside I can think of that can step up in a big way.
In the matchups between Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa, the one at home has been lucky enough to get the win. But now that this Chargers defense has finally earned some respectability with how well they improved, I think that is going to be the biggest difference in this ball game. I could see Miami putting up a ton of points, but one little slip up could turn the entire tide in an entirely different direction.
WEEK 7 vs. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Okay, now this is a game that I do not believe will be too hard to predict. This is mainly because the Colts do not have a surefire starter at quarterback. We thought it could be Anthony Richardson, but his inaccuracy issues completely plagued this team, and it did not help that he was in and out of the lineup throughout the season. I seriously doubt Daniel Jones is going to get this team over the hump, so what I see is an average offense led by two subpar quarterbacks. I feel bad for Jonathan Taylor because his prime is just being wasted. The same goes with Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, and Alec Pierce, because while Joe Flacco was not exactly the transcendent backup that he was in Cleveland, he at least proved that all those two needed was a better player throwing them the ball to help the two of them grow. However, one player that I think a lot of teams will have a hard time planning against will be rookie Tyler Warren. Regardless of who starts at quarterback for Indianapolis, he is going to be the ultimate security blanket because there are so many things he could do with the football. The offensive line was not so bad last season, but the departures of both Ryan Kelly and Will Fries are going to hurt them in 2025. Outside of Quenton Nelson and Braden Smith, I don’t really know which players on that front are going to excel at the highest level, meaning that Indianapolis is more than likely bound for another mediocre season.
Newly hired defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo is hoping to get his career back on track in a new change of place and prove that Gus Bradley was truly not the right man for the job. When I look at the Colts defense, I see a lot of names, but I know that the production was not there the year before. Their front four was supposed to be led by DeForest Buckner, Kwity Paye, and Laitu Latu. Yet, they totaled the seventh fewest sacks with thirty-six. Zaire Franklin is one of the consistent leading tacklers in the NFL, but their run defense allowed close to 132 yards per game. However, I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that their secondary was still a travesty. This offseason, Chris Ballard did his job to make sure that it would not be an issue again. They brought in Charvarius Ward to be their new number one corner and signed safety Camryn Bynum to elevate it even higher. These were the two latest additions to a secondary that already had starpower in Nick Cross, Kenny Moore, and Jaylon Jones. Now it is up to Anarumo to see if he can finally turn this group around for the first time in close to five years.
I do not want this to turn into a lopsided blowout, but unfortunately, the Chargers have bigger aspirations and I honestly cannot tell what type of direction the Colts are going to head towards this season. Either they are going to still be mediocre or they will actually bottom out and force Chris Ballard to blow everything up… again.
WEEK 8 vs. MINNESOTA VIKINGS
The Chargers will have a quick turnaround as they will welcome the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday Night Football, which will present a much tougher challenge than the Indianapolis Colts. If Sam Darnold can win fourteen games with this team last year, then JJ McCarthy is going to have a lot of pressure riding on his shoulders. Thankfully, he has a solid supporting cast to help him develop. Let’s start with Justin Jefferson, who is still to this day the best receiver in football. If he gets doubled, then McCarthy will have Jordan Addison and Jalen Nailor, along with a trusted security blanket in TJ Hockenson. In the backfield, Aaron Jones does not seem to have lost a step and is still one of the best flexible backs in the league. Their offensive line retooled in the offseason, letting go of their biggest liabilities and replacing them with potential gems. They signed Ryan Kelly and Will Fries in free agency and then drafted Donovan Jackson in the first round, pairing them with Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill.
Their defense under Brian Flores was one of the more promising units to watch. They led the league in takeaways, allowed the fifth fewest points, tied for fourth in sacks, and gave up the second fewest rushing yards. The only category that this defense did not excel in was their pass defense, but those previous statistics I mentioned prove that this is a “bend but do not break” group. Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel thrived in their first seasons with the team by totaling double-digit sacks, and then they beefed up the trenches with the additions of Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. Just imagine what happens if Dallas Turner breaks out in his sophomore season. Patrick Jones II unfortunately departed in free agency, but their linebacker corps is still intact with Ivan Pace and Blake Cashman hoping to stabilize things with their run defense. The secondary is where it gets interesting because while they have a deep safety group and a number one corner in Byron Murphy, I do not like that their replacement for Stephon Gilmore was Isaiah Rodgers. Not to mention that their backups are Jeff Okudah and Ambry Thomas. I think that we are going to get more or less the same production from this defense as last year, but it is their quarterback that will be the ultimate X factor.
I think that because the Chargers will be home in back-to-back weeks and the Vikings will have to travel across the country in a short period of time, then the former team will have the bigger advantage. I think both teams are going to play their hearts out, but not knowing how McCarthy is going to perform after missing last year with a torn meniscus makes it harder for me to say that Minnesota is going to win fourteen games for the second season in a row.
WEEK 9 @ TENNESSEE TITANS
When I started thinking about this matchup, I remembered what happened between these two teams in 2023, when Tennessee held on to beat the Chargers 27-24 in overtime. LA did the right thing later that year by firing Brandon Staley, but the ironic thing is that both teams headed into entirely different directions. The Titans had the worst record in the league last season and clinched the first overall pick, which they used to select quarterback Cam Ward. I loved watching him when he was at Miami, but head coach Brian Callahan is going to throw this kid into the fire early, and I honestly cannot determine how he will perform. The pieces around him are not terrible, but then again, they only won three games with essentially the same supporting cast around him. You have Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears manning the backfield, Calvin Ridley and Tyler Lockett as your expected top receiving targets, and an offensive line that honestly did not improve over the offseason. I have hopes for rookies Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Deke, but I still cannot understand why new general manager Mike Borgonzi gave Dan Moore Jr. $50 million guaranteed to be their starting left tackle.
As for the defense, it really gave us a bunch of mixed signs every week. They were the second best group in yards allowed, yet were the third worst in points surrendered. All of the veterans that they acquired that offseason were let go before the 2024 season could even conclude, and a couple more might join them if they implode once again. Harold Landry was released, Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs were cut in the middle of the year, and Ernest Jones was traded. Hopefully, things do not head in the opposite direction once again because they have solid guys in their group. Jeffery Simmons, Arden Key, and T’Vondre Sweat held their own on the front four. Cody Barton and Dre’Mont Jones were brought in from Denver to help pick up the slack. L’Jarius Sneed is trying to return to form and will have guys like Amani Hooker and Jarvis Brownlee Jr. to step up on their end.
Right now, I think that the Chargers are just a way better football team, even with Cam Ward more than likely replacing Will Levis as the starting quarterback. I doubt that this will be a blowout, but I believe that LA should handle their business on both sides of the ball and head back home with smiles on their faces.
WEEK 10 vs. PITTSBURGH STEELERS
If Justin Fields beat this Chargers team last year, then how do you expect that they are going to perform now that Aaron Rodgers is the starting quarterback? Even if he did not sign with them, Pittsburgh has a decent team with Mike Tomlin still there as the head coach. Najee Harris is gone, but Jaylen Warren has always been a huge focal point of this offense, and I think rookie Kaleb Johnson could mold in well with Arthur Smith’s system. George Pickens got traded, yet DK Metcalf is always a receiver that any quarterback would love to have. Hopefully, he shows more consistency in his play because he is incredibly athletic and physical, but you do not see it as often as you would hope. Pat Freiermuth is always a serviceable security blanket, Calvin Austin shows plenty of flashes with his speed, and Roman Wilson is trying to bounce back after an injury-riddled rookie year. However, the offensive line brings up a lot of concerns as they allowed the ninth most sacks in the NFL. Dan Moore Jr. left in free agency, which will make Troy Fautanu and Broderick Jones the two startling tackles for the season, so let’s see if that is a move that will pay off over time.
Whether the Steelers make the playoffs or not, I seriously doubt that defense is going to regress. That is if TJ Watt clears up whatever issues he might have with the front office. Otherwise, they are screwed. As much as I love guys like Alex Highsmith and Cam Heyward, they will not have a pass rush without the former Defensive Player of the Year. We can only hope that rookie Derrick Harmon can have an instant impact on that line because that would be absolutely critical. The linebacking room is a deep one per usual, and I think it will get even stronger with Jack Sawyer as a late draft addition, but I hope they do not wear down like they did last year before. As for the secondary, it is also a well respected group that just got stronger. Darius Slay might not be the corner that he was in his prime but he can still play at a high level and complement a shutdown beast in Joey Porter Jr. The same goes with safety Juan Thornhill to help out Minkah Fitzpatrick. They will be the biggest reason why this Steelers team is competitive, but if their offense is near the bottom of the dumpster, then it is going to be an exhausted group as the season progresses.
The Steelers proved that they can slow this Chargers offense down by shutting down the run, which will take the pressure off of their offense and allow them to pull things away down the stretch. I get that this is a road game for Pittsburgh, but I feel like they should be up to the task to get this win.
WEEK 11 @ JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Jim Harbaugh might not have been there when the Chargers blew a 27-0 lead to the Jaguars in the Wild Card more than a few years ago, but LA is going to want some revenge after getting humiliated and embarrassed. Thankfully for them, Jacksonville is right back to being a losing franchise. It will be interesting to see how the Jaguars look with Liam Coen as the new head coach, because if Trevor Lawrence continues to look mediocre at best and pathetic at worst, then that contract extension is only going to appear worse as the days roll by. Coen has a lot of work to do with not just getting Lawrence back on track, but with the rest of the offense as well. They have two capable starting running backs in Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby, while Brian Thomas Jr. has emerged as the focal point of the passing game, but the offense suffered a lot of turnover at the same time. Christian Kirk, Gabe Davis, and Evan Engram were all released. Jacksonville replaced them by promoting Brenton Strange as the starting tight end, signing Dyami Brown in free agency, and then trading up with the Browns to draft Travis Hunter with the second overall pick! Not only is Hunter supposed to help out a ton in the passing game, but that secondary has desperately needed a standout cornerback for years, and the Jaguars got a guy that can do both! One of the biggest surprises of 2024 was that their offensive line actually did pretty well, despite only winning four games. It only let up thirty-two sacks, the ninth fewest in the league, and I think it got stronger with the signing of Patrick Mekari in free agency. Anton Harrison showed improvement, Ezra Cleveland thrived at left guard, and the unit did pretty well for itself without Cam Robinson at left tackle. Lawrence is going to be the biggest X factor for this team’s success, or else Jacksonville’s new regime will not be afraid of moving on from him in the upcoming offseason.
As for the Jaguars defense, I have been consistent in saying that it has been the team’s Achilles heel for the last five years. The only two guys that kept it somewhat afloat were Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, so even with the addition of Travis Hunter, this group has a lot of making up to do this year. Arik Armstead has been a disappointment, Devin Lloyd showed a lot of consistency issues, and I did not like that Jourdan Lewis was the only addition they made to the secondary in free agency. Maybe Hunter and Tyson Campbell can form into a solid duo, but for this team to truly turn things around, everything has to be absolutely perfect in all aspects of play.
With that being said, I think that LA will enter the bye week on a nine game winning streak, and they better not make this one a close contest. Otherwise, we might have some questions about how they will finish out the season and what their postseason fate will look like.
WEEK 12: BYE WEEK
WEEK 13 vs. LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
If I remember correctly, the last time Justin Herbert lost to the Raiders at home was in his rookie season, all because of a potential game winning touchdown overturned. I think his fortune against this team in So-Fi Stadium has been pretty good since then and I don’t believe it will change any time soon.
WEEK 14 vs. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Unfortunately, this is where I think the long winning streak for the Chargers comes to an end as they have to welcome the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football. I won’t be like a bunch of national media pundits and say that Philadelphia is starting a dynasty, but they are the most feared team in the NFC. Jalen Hurts finally got the respect he deserved by winning a championship and the game’s MVP, because when Philadelphia’s best player Saquon Barkley was held in check, it was the quarterback that rose up to the moment and redeemed himself from two years ago. Thankfully, the offense from that season will be back. Saquon is still at the peak prime of his career, the Eagles have one of the best receiving duos featuring AJ Brown and Devonta Smith, but one of the best news of the offseason was that they found a way to keep tight end Dallas Goedert for the foreseeable future. The offensive line has four of its five starters returning, so this offense should still be dominant on paper. The last thing Philadelphia wants, however, is a repeat of what happened two years ago. They might have finished with a winning season and a playoff appearance, but they collapsed after a 10-1 start and got demolished in the Wild Card with two different coordinators than the ones they had in their first Super Bowl matchup against the Chiefs.
Thankfully, Vic Fangio will still be in charge of the defense, which means you should not experience a setback any time soon. Even though they lost a ton of pieces in the offseason, Philly is deciding to focus on its youth to keep their repeat chances alive. Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis will be the two key pieces to their defensive line, with assistance from Nolan Smith and perhaps Jalyx Hunt coming around the edge. In the second level, Zack Baun will be the quarterback of the unit as he is coming off of a breakout season, with the confidence that he will come out stronger this year. With help from Nakobe Dean and rookie Jihaad Campbell, I don’t expect that run defense to get worse. The secondary is where it gets really interesting because even though they are still young, both Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean formed into a lethal cornerback tandem. Reed Blankenship has evolved into a legitimate starting safety and Sydney Brown is hoping to reach that level, so there is depth in that group as well. I don’t think that defense will be as dominant as it was the year before, especially since there will be a lot more inexperienced guys being thrusted into starting positions, but then I remember what happened in 2023. When they lost to Kansas City, the Eagles had the best defense in football. One year later, they were one of the worst. It was the biggest reason why Philadelphia fell apart after such a strong start, so my fear is that it could happen again, especially since it will be a younger unit.
One of the biggest things that held the Chargers back last year was their inability to beat the top tier teams in the NFL. They might have had a fortunate run against subpar opponents, but I think Philadelphia will give a wake up call that LA definitely needs.
WEEK 15 @ KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
It is unfortunate that the Chargers do not get to be in their home building when they have to play the Chiefs twice this year, but against the class of the AFC, I do not expect LA to win in Arrowhead Stadium when Kansas City knows that December is the most important month to win in the regular season.
WEEK 16 @ DALLAS COWBOYS
Any time that I feel like the Chargers can beat the Cowboys, it does not happen, and I never know why. So many of their fans think that they will be a lot better than advertised, but I seriously cannot see how. Dak Prescott is coming back, that is always a great sign. CeeDee Lamb is one of the best receivers in the league, that definitely helps. Micah Parsons, given that he gets his contract extension, is absolutely one of the more unstoppable defensive players in the league. But what do these three have around them? Rico Dowdle left in free agency, which means the only running backs are Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders. One of them has not been the same since a season ending injury he suffered a few years ago and another was proved to be nothing more than a system back for the Eagles. The passing game was already reliable with Jake Ferguson and Jalen Tolbert, but acquiring George Pickens was definitely a high-risk and high-reward move. He is extremely talented, but the biggest red flag is that he had character and maturity issues in Pittsburgh, so I really do not know if this was the best change of scenery. The potential is there and I think he and CeeDee form a strong duo on paper, but I need to see how they gel together before I can come to a final conclusion. Fortunately, the offensive line is never an aspect I have to worry about. They drafted Tyler Booker in the first round to replace the recently retired Zach Martin and complement Tyler Smith, their tackles Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele are hoping to improve in 2025, and Cooper Beebe had a strong rookie season at center. With Dak under center, I doubt they will be a top ten offense, but they should be a productive unit against certain opponents. But when it comes to top tier teams, they do not always show up, so that needs to change if they truly want this year to be different.
With Matt Eberflus as the new defensive coordinator, I already know what I am going to get. There will be some games where they make tremendous strides, but then others where they are on their heels way too often. Yes they have Micah and Osa Odighizuwa on the defensive line, they brought back Dante Fowler, Marshawn Kneeland is on the rise, and Sam Williams is returning from injury to step in for DeMarvion Overshown. Yet, I am not exactly confident that Kenneth Murray or Jack Sanborn are going to fix a run defense that was below average last year. Trevon Diggs struggled to return from injury and DaRon Bland is essentially the same type of player, so I don’t have the highest faith in those two as the starting corners despite the fact that they have exceptional hands. I don’t need to worry about the safety room because it already has a ton of depth, but when Dallas cannot generate any pressure, then they better make a ton of plays.
I feel like both of these teams will be in the same tier by the time the 2025 season comes to a conclusion, and with that said, I think the Cowboys can escape with this one at home. For whatever reason, in the last two matchups, the defense holds things down and the offense shows up in the clutch. Unless I see otherwise, I believe LA is going to lose a pivotal matchup on the road.
WEEK 17 vs. HOUSTON TEXANS
The way that the Chargers season came to an end last year was stunning and unwatchable. Now that they have a chance to get revenge at So-Fi Stadium, they are going to be out for blood. Last season was rough for a franchise that was finally starting to get things back on track. Despite winning the AFC South and making it back to the playoffs, it felt like they were worse than last year, and now it is time for everybody to prove that it was just a fluke. That means CJ Stroud is going to have to break through that rough sophomore wall and return to the promising stud he was in his rookie season. This season will be a bigger challenge because not only is Stefon Diggs gone, but Tank Dell is expected to miss all of 2025 with that gruesome knee injury he suffered in December. However, I think both Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel are going to surprise a lot of people in their rookie seasons, which will take a lot of pressure off of Nico Collins and even newly signed Christian Kirk. Along with Joe Mixon and Dalton Schultz, it is still a talented offense that just let go of offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, so it is time for Nick Caley to right the ship. Yet, their offensive line still gives me pause for concern. They traded away Laremy Tunsil, released Shaq Mason, and traded away Kenyon Green. The new guys that the Texans signed include Cam Robinson, Trent Brown, and Ed Ingram. The only returning pieces are Juice Scruggs and Tytus Howard. I don’t know how, but it felt like their offensive line got worse. That says a lot, considering that CJ Stroud was the second most sacked quarterback in the league!
As for the Texans defense, the one thing that held them back from their potential was the lack of discipline. That falls on DeMeco Ryans because this was supposed to be the unit for him to turn around. They have the talent, but they need the chemistry and mental toughness to really go far in the playoffs. Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter did a tremendous job on the front four, they have a legitimate linebacker duo of Azeez Al-Shaair and Henry To’oTo’o, but it is their secondary that I think makes this group even more dangerous. They have a transcendent number one corner in Derek Stingley Jr., a couple of rising studs in Calen Bullock and Kamari Lassiter, and Jalen Pitre is one of the more underrated safeties in all of football. They also just acquired CJ Gardner Johnson in a trade with Philadelphia, which means Jimmie Ward will not have to take a huge load of the work as one of the only veterans on the team.
For the Chargers to get their revenge, the goal is very simple. Do not turn the ball over! Otherwise, the Texans are going to turn this into a rout, and LA is going to suffer the same fate as they did last year.
WEEK 18 @ DENVER BRONCOS
Justin Herbert finally won a game in Mile High last season, so I will give props where it is due. However, I have a strong feeling that both teams are going to fight for playoff positioning entering the regular season finale, and the Broncos are not going to let those chances get crushed away at home. Therefore, I see this series ending in a split.
FINAL RECORD PREDICTION: 10-7
