A significant alternative is staring the Los Angeles Chargers within the face on Monday evening.
The Chargers can take a giant 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 seek 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 highway 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 as a result of Monday sport 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 might probably’t lose one other sport if it desires its playoff aspirations to have legit life.
Beating the Eagles can be a giant deal for the Chargers as it might give them the identical report because the Buffalo Payments (9-4) and place them one sport forward of the charging Houston Texans and the embattled Indianapolis Colts.
The Baltimore Ravens (6-7) might 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 big for the Chargers.
The well being of quarterback Justin Herbert additionally will likely 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 apply 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 undoubtedly taken a whatever-it-takes outlook.
“I’m doing every thing I can to be on the market,” Herbert mentioned. “I’d struggle by something for these guys. However on the finish of the day, you’ve bought to be sensible and take heed to the medical doctors, 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 gathered 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 received a playoff sport. And proper now, the sudden decline of the Chiefs is opening the door for different AFC groups.
It additionally doesn’t harm that the Broncos and New England Patriots are the shock high two groups within the convention by Week 14.
The Chargers haven’t received a single playoff sport because the 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 subject aim 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 Sport look, they should beat the Eagles. The late-season run unofficially begins Monday.
