Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: the Los Angeles Chargers can be a legitimate threat in the AFC if they could simply get out of their own way.
No matter the players on the team, it’s like a perpetual state of the Chargers to be competitive with every team in the league but none more than themselves. One thing that’s for certain, and two for sure, at some point the Chargers will Charger.
Thursday night’s showdown with the rival Kansas City Chiefs was just the latest example of this, as the Chargers allowed 20 unanswered points in the second half — including a fourth-quarter pick-six on the goal-line — to blow a 10-point lead and lose another game that felt like they should’ve won.
AFC Title Odds (via BetMGM)
Justin Herbert’s interception only compounded self-inflicted mistakes by the defense, which had four interceptions wiped out due to either drops or penalties. And head coach Brandon Staley, who was uncharacteristically conservative on fourth downs.
It’s hard to find a franchise that has worse luck in big moments. And the sad part is a few co-workers and I predicted they would find a way to screw it up. Even sadder, I still find myself optimistic about what this team can accomplish this year.
If the Chargers can play the Chiefs that well, without top receiver Keenan Allen, I’m certain they can beat almost anybody. They still clinched the backdoor cover on a late drive, and I’m willing to bet they’ll win outright the next time these teams meet — as long as they stay (and get) healthy.
Their current odds at Tipico to win the AFC West are a steal at +210, compared to the Chiefs at -110. Their AFC odds are a distant third at +750. This team is good enough to do both, so long as it stays out of its own way. The history of the Chargers says they can’t, but just think about the possibilities if they do.
