LA Chargers: 3 reasons why the Bolts are a legit Super Bowl dark horse

3. The LA Chargers have the best traits possible for a contender

There are different types of contenders in the NFL. There are contenders that make the playoffs because of their defense. Last year, the Los Angeles Rams, Washington Football Team and Pittsburgh Steelers were arguably the three best defensive teams in the league and made the playoffs as a result.

What happened to those defensive teams? The Steelers lost in the Wild Card Round to the Cleveland Browns, the Los Angeles Rams were thumped in the Divisional Round by the Green Bay Packers and the Washington Football Team fell to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card Round.

There are also the teams that have to reinvent the wheel offensively and play a unique style. The Baltimore Ravens come to mind with Lamar Jackson, or the Tennesee Titans with the run-first offense. What happened to them? The Bills beat the Ravens, who beat the Titans.

The better you are at passing the ball and scoring points the better you are in 2021. The Packers, Buccaneers and Bills all ranked in the top three in points per game last season, in that order. The Chiefs ranked sixth, but we all know they are the most diverse offensive team in the league.

The saying defense wins championships is not the same. Sure, good defenses can complement a great offense, but you have to have that great offense to get there. The Chargers, with Herbert, Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and Austin Ekeler, have all the weapons to be a high-powered offense and rank in the top five or so in points per game.

Sure, there are some concerns about the defense but the team hired a defensive-minded head coach. The LA Chargers can have a league-average defense and as long as they have a top offense they will contend for the Super Bowl.

Just look at recent history.