The 2026 schedule for the Los Angeles Chargers comes with plenty of highs and lows. Even with a brutal stretch in the middle of the season and one of the worst rest disparities in the league, there are still some games on the schedule that fans will naturally look at as “easy” wins. But as everyone in football says, any given Sunday.
No game in this league is automatic, and the Chargers of old have made a habit out of playing down to competition or outright dropping games they should comfortably win. With that in mind, here are three matchups that should be manageable on paper but have all the makings of dangerous trap games.
3 traps the Chargers can't fall into in 2026
Week 2 vs. Las Vegas Raiders
Coming off what should hopefully be a comfortable Week 1 win over the Arizona Cardinals, the Chargers return home to face a Raiders team likely starting either Kirk Cousins or rookie Fernando Mendoza. On paper, this absolutely feels like a game the Chargers should win and a clear opportunity to start the season 2-0.
That said, divisional games are never as easy as they seem. Las Vegas has improved, and looking ahead to a brutal Week 3 matchup in Buffalo would be the perfect way for the Chargers to get caught sleeping. If Los Angeles takes the Raiders lightly, it could walk right into a loss before one of the toughest stretches of the season even begins.
Week 11 vs. New York Jets
The Jets have spent years being viewed as one of the league’s biggest disappointments, and expectations still are not particularly high for them in 2026. However, they did add major talent through the draft and upgraded at quarterback by reuniting with Geno Smith.
This matchup also lands in a dangerous spot on the schedule. The Chargers will be coming off a brutal stretch that ends with a primetime road game against Baltimore. Right after the Jets game? A Wild Card rematch against the New England Patriots.
That creates the exact type of setup where teams overlook an opponent. If the Chargers start peeking ahead toward New England, they could find themselves in a much tighter game than expected against a Jets team that will simply be trying to prove it belongs.
Week 16 @ Miami Dolphins
This one largely depends on where the Chiefs stand heading into Week 17. If Kansas City is still firmly in the AFC West race, the Chargers could easily look past Miami in anticipation of a massive divisional showdown.
The Dolphins are expected to be among the worst teams in football this season, possibly even the worst. Still, Malik Willis flashed some promise during his limited opportunities in Green Bay, and Miami has enough speed and offensive talent to make things uncomfortable if overlooked.
Last season, it took a disastrous performance from Tua Tagovailoa for the Chargers to escape with a win. If Los Angeles loses focus late in the year, especially with playoff positioning potentially on the line, this game could become far more dangerous than it initially appears.
The Chargers are talented enough to win all three of these games comfortably. But if fans have learned anything over the years, it’s that overlooking opponents is exactly how seasons get derailed. If this team truly wants to contend in 2026, taking care of business in games like these will matter just as much as beating the league’s elite.
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