LA Chargers: 3 keys to make the NFL Playoffs in 2020
By Jason Reed
1. Go at least 3-3 in the AFC West
I am willing to go out on a limb and say that if the LA Chargers do not have at least a .500 record against their AFC West foes in 2020 then they will not be a playoff team. We will look back at the season and wonder what held the team back and will highlight the 0-2 wins inside of their division.
The Chargers going 3-3 in the division is a baseline. The better the team does the better their chances are (obviously). But making the playoffs at worse than 3-3 will not happen.
The Chargers went 0-6 against their AFC West foes last season and a 3-3 record would have moved them to 8-8 and right in the thick of the playoff picture. In fact, the AFC West struggles were not just last season, they have become a trend.
The Chargers are 10-26 against AFC West teams since the 2014 season. For those keeping count at home, that is a .278 winning percentage or the equivalent to four wins in a 16-game season.
If we are being completely realistic, we cannot bank on the Chargers beating the Chiefs. Of course, it is possible, but Kansas City is the best team in the league and defeating them truly would be the icing on the cake.
Instead, the Chargers should realistically aim to sweep the Las Vegas Raiders and split with the Denver Broncos, again, at the very least.