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LA Chargers: 3 things to root for on Thursday vs. Las Vegas Raiders

By Jason Reed

Dec 13, 2020; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen (13) and Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) celebrate their first quarter touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 13, 2020; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen (13) and Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) celebrate their first quarter touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports /
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(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) – LA Chargers
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) – LA Chargers /

While the LA Chargers’ season is essentially over, there is still plenty to root for against the Las Vegas Raiders.

The LA Chargers‘ playoff hopes went down the drain weeks ago and at this point of the season, there are more fans that want the team to lose for their draft position than fans that want to see the team win.

I understand that sentiment and it is really easy to look ahead towards April and the 2021 NFL Draft (we are doing it to with several mock drafts here at Bolt Beat). However, there is still plenty to root for in the Chargers’ remaining games.

There are three significant things that Charger fans can find themselves rooting for on Thursday night. So if you are struggling to get the motivation to cheer the Bolts on, here is what you can focus on.

1. Playing spoiler to the Las Vegas Raiders

I mean, c’mon. The Las Vegas Raiders are the LA Chargers’ biggest rivals and nothing would be better than playing spoiler (and ending the team’s AFC West losing streak) to essentially keep the Raiders out of the playoffs.

This is a game that the Raiders really need if they are going to get into the playoffs and it would be great to see the devastation for Raiders fans if the Chargers went into brand-new Allegiant Stadium and shocked Jon Gruden and co.

The Raiders are currently the ninth seed in the AFC with a 7-6 record. The Baltimore Ravens are the eighth seed with an 8-5 record, which is the same as the seventh-seeded Miami Dolphins. The Indianapolis Colts are 9-4 with some easy games remaining on the schedule.

Simply put, the Las Vegas Raiders have to win out. They have division games against the Chargers and Broncos that they have to win with the playoff hopes essentially being decided in Week 16 against the Miami Dolphins.

If Vegas can beat Miami, assuming they win the other two, then they should like their chances of sneaking into the playoff picture.

Losing against the Chargers would guarantee that the Raiders, at best, can finish 9-7, which probably is not enough to make the playoffs in the AFC this year.

While they will not mathematically be eliminated, the Chargers could essentially ax the Raiders’ playoff hopes on Thursday night.

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