While the Los Angeles Chargers failed to gain any ground in the AFC West race in Week 14, with the division-leading Denver Broncos improving to 11-2 with a win over the Las Vegas Raiders, the Bolts did at least maintain their position as the top wild-card team in the conference with a wild 22-19 overtime win this past Monday night over the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
Here's how the overall AFC playoff picture shakes out as we turn the page to Week 15.
- Denver Broncos (11-2, 1st AFC West)
- New England Patriots (11-2, 1st AFC East)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4, 1st AFC South)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6, 1st AFC North)
- Los Angeles Chargers (9-4, 2nd AFC West)
- Buffalo Bills (9-4, 2nd AFC East)
- Houston Texans (8-5, 2nd AFC South)
- Indianapolis Colts (8-5, 3rd AFC South)
- Baltimore Ravens (6-7, 2nd AFC North)
- Kansas City Chiefs (6-7, 3rd AFC West)
- Miami Dolphins (6-7, 3rd AFC East)
- Cincinnati Bengals (4-9, 3rd AFC North)
At 9-4, the Chargers are in solid shape heading into the homestretch of this 2025 regular season, as NFL.com currently has their playoff probability odds at 74%. Nothing is guaranteed, of course, and the fact that Los Angeles has the sixth-toughest remaining strength of schedule in the league is naturally a little nerve-wracking.
But with a win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, the Chargers would see their odds increase to 93%. And if they can get a few other results to go their way, that figure would rise even higher. With that in mind, let's have a look at the matchups the Bolts will be watching closely in Week 15.
5 outcomes the LA Chargers need to happen:
Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots
lf the Chargers end up running down the Broncos to win the AFC West, they'll need to be concerned with what the Patriots are doing for seeding purposes. But for now, the Bolts are best served by creating a little separation from the Bills.
Los Angeles and Buffalo share the same 9-4 record, but the Bolts currently own the tiebreaker due to having a better record against AFC opponents (7-2 to 6-3). So, if the Chargers beat the Chiefs and the Bills lose to the Pats, not only would the Bolts take a one-game lead on the Bills overall, but they'd also take a two-game lead in that particular tiebreaker category, which could prove helpful down the line.
New York Jets at Jacksonville Jaguars
While the Jaguars currently sit atop the AFC South, they could very well fall down into the wild-card race. But whether it's among the top four or in the bottom three, Los Angeles wants no part of a head-to-head tiebreaker with Jacksonville, who embarrassed the Bolts back in Week 11.
So, the Chargers will undoubtedly be hoping the Jets can pull off an upset here.
Arizona Cardinals at Houston Texans
Los Angeles will also be hoping the Cardinals can pull off an upset this week, as the Texans, who've now won five straight, are just one game back of the Bolts and Bills at 8-5, which also means they're just one game back of the Jags in the AFC South race. So, as it goes with Jacksonville, the Chargers could end up battling Houston for seeding among the division winners or in the wild-card race.
The Chargers can help themselves in either race when they host the Texans in Week 17, but they certainly wouldn't mind seeing Houston's winning streak come to an end on Sunday.
Indianapolis Colts at Seattle Seahawks
Sticking with the AFC South, we come to the Indianapolis Colts, who not only lost their third straight this past week to fall to 8-5 but also lost Daniel Jones to a season-ending Achilles injury. And in a shocking turn of events, Jones' roster spot now belongs to none other than longtime Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers.
It's not yet known if Rivers, now 44, will play against the Seahawks on Sunday, but even if he does, the Chargers will be hoping for an Indy loss here.
Green Bay Packers at Denver Broncos
This is obviously a no-brainer, as the Chargers will be pulling for the Packers here.
A Chargers win and a Broncos loss would certainly make things much more interesting in the AFC West. While the Bolts are still two games back, let's not forget that they beat Denver back in Week 3 and will see them again to close out the season in Week 18. So, this is still a very competitive race coming down the stretch.