The Los Angeles Chargers entered the offseason on the heels of yet another disappointing playoff performance. Despite having one of the easiest schedules in the NFL last season, and finishing with an impressive 11-6 record, the Chargers still finished second in the AFC West behind the Kansas City Chiefs and secured the first Wild Card spot in the AFC. This time around, ESPN's Kris Rihm says it will be an "uphill battle" for Los Angeles to reach double-digit wins in 2025.
Getty
Denico Autry #96 of the Houston Texans sacks Justin Herbert #10 of the Los Angeles Chargers during the third quarter during the AFC Wild Card Playoffs at NRG Stadium on January 11, 2025.
The Los Angeles Chargers entered the offseason on the heels of yet another disappointing playoff performance. Despite having one of the easiest schedules in the NFL last season, and finishing with an impressive 11-6 record, the Chargers still finished second in the AFC West behind the Kansas City Chiefs, securing the first Wild Card spot in the AFC. After taking a 6-0 lead over the Houston Texans about halfway through the second quarter, the Chargers collapsed, allowing 23 straight points and ultimately falling 32-12 in the Wild Card round. This time around, ESPN‘s Kris Rihm says it will be an “uphill battle” for Los Angeles to reach double-digit wins in 2025.
The Chargers Will Need to Finish Strong, Despite 3 of Their Final 4 Games Coming on the Road
In Weeks 14-17, Los Angeles will face “perhaps the toughest stretch” on their schedule, according to ESPN‘s Kris Rihm. Rihm mentions that they will face three playoff teams from last season, in addition to the Dallas Cowboys, who will have a healthy Dak Prescott at quarterback.
If you extend that stretch to the final game of the season in Week 18, the Chargers will finish with the following matchups:
Reigning Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles (Home)
Reigning AFC Champion Kansas City Chiefs (Away)
Dallas Cowboys with a healthy Dak Prescott (Away)
Houston Texans, who ended their 2024 season in spectacular fashion (Home)
Denver Broncos, who may have the best defense in the league this year (Away)
“This stretch comes near the end of the season when the Chargers could be fighting for playoff position and could determine whether this team is a contender, in a similar spot that they were last season, or worse,” writes Rihm.
In the bold prediction section of his article, Rihm notes that the Chargers were able to beat up on bad teams last year, and with the roster “not much improved,” Los Angeles will face an “uphill battle” to reach double-digit wins in 2025.
“Of the Chargers’ 11 wins last season, just three came over teams with a winning record, with two wins over the Denver Broncos and one over Cincinnati,” writes Rihm. “L.A. benefited mightily from the NFL’s fifth easiest schedule in 2024 and beat up on some of the league’s worst teams in Harbaugh’s first season. With a much harder schedule and the Chargers roster not much improved from last season, it will be an uphill battle for this team to hit double-digit wins in 2025.”
Los Angeles is Only Team With This ‘Brutal’ Scheduling Quirk
As I wrote about earlier this morning, the Los Angeles Chargers will face extra early-season travel this year. After beginning with their season-opener against the Kansas City Chiefs in São Paulo, Brazil, the Chargers will head to Las Vegas for Monday Night Football against the Raiders, before returning to Los Angeles for their home opener against the Denver Broncos. Yes, you read that correctly. The Chargers will have played half of their divisional matchups by the end of Week 3.
Michael Peterson of SB Nation’s Bolts From The Blue points out that this could be a “brutal draw” for the Chargers.
“The Chargers are the ONLY team to face three divisional opponents in their first three weeks,” writes Peterson. “Yes, that’s right. Some teams start with two consecutive or play two of their first three in the division, but the Chargers are the only team who will be done with half of their divisional games before the start of Week Four.”
That would be a challenge for any team to face, even in a less competitive division. But the AFC West looks to be one of the most challenging divisions in the league in 2025. The Chiefs are still the team to beat and are reloading their offensive line. The Broncos look like they will have one of the top defenses in the league and second-year quarterback Bo Nix looks ready to take a leap into the next tier of quarterbacks. Even last year’s basement-dwellers made a splash this offseason, as the Raiders traded for veteran quarterback Geno Smith to replace Derek Carr and drafted Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty.