LA Chargers can kiss the playoffs goodbye if they lose to Jaguars

The LA Chargers’ playoff hopes will end if they lose to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

The LA Chargers have not had an ideal start to the 2020 season but the team is better than its record indicates. The Chargers are 1-4 on the year but were up big against the Kansas City Chiefs, New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Chargers lost these games in typical Charger fashion — including an ugly loss to the Carolina Panthers. Not only should the team be better than 1-4, but they should be better than 1-4 after the toughest portion of their schedule.

The Chargers now head into the 11 games of their schedule after an earlier-than-expected bye week with one of the easiest remaining schedules in the league. Despite all the positives around the team, they very well could lose their chance at the playoffs as early as Week 7.

If the LA Chargers lose in Week 7 to the Jacksonville Jaguars then they can kiss the NFL Playoffs goodbye.

Why the LA Chargers’ playoff hopes would die with a loss to Jacksonville:

First of all, it would be really tough for the Chargers just from a record standpoint to make the playoffs after a 1-5 start. The AFC is super competitive this season and the Bolts would have to get to nine wins to give themselves a good chance of making the playoffs.

An 8-2 finish is really hard to pull off. And yes, the team did end the 2017 season in a similar way, but this would be different.

MUST-READ: Justin Jackson is a must-start fantasy option in Week 7

Yes, in theory, the Chargers could make a run and go 8-2 in their last 10 to make the playoffs. However, do we really expect a team that has blown three leads, and hypothetically lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars to finish with an 8-2 record?

I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news but if the Chargers are outplayed and outcoached then that just shows us that they maybe are not as good as we think they are. I don’t care what team it is, if you are already 1-4 and lose to Jacksonville then I don’t think you are a playoff-caliber team.

There are still some tough games in the schedule too. Road games against Kansas City and Buffalo are not easy and they have losable games against New England and Las Vegas. They have an easy stretch, sure, but if they can’t beat the Panthers or Jaguars how can we expect them to sweep the Las Vegas Raiders, who beat the two teams the Chargers lost to in overtime?

It is extremely rare from a historical standpoint for a team to start 1-5 and make the playoffs as well. Since 1990, 105 teams have started the season with a 1-5 record. Two (1.9%) have made the playoffs — the 2018 Indianapolis Colts and 2015 Kansas City Chiefs.

The average record of teams to start 1-5 on the season is 5-11.

Luckily, the LA Chargers matchup really well against the Jacksonville Jaguars and should mop the floor with Gardner Minshew and company. The Chargers are a far more talented team and this hopefully can serve as a springboard for the Chargers to get some wins under their belt.

However, if they lose this game in typical Chargers fashion then it is probably time that we stop mentioning the playoffs here on Bolt Beat.