The Los Angeles Chargers' Monday Night Football matchup against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 10 likely isn't going to be the most compelling primetime matchup of the season.
Granted, with weapons like Derrick Henry and Zay Flowers in the mix, it should be more entertaining than the Chargers' Week 2 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals was—where they faced Jacoby Brissett for the first time this season. With Lamar Jackson out until what looks to be Week 18, Jesse Minter and the Ravens need a win this week, preferably in dominant fashion, if they're going to keep their momentum alive in the race for an AFC Wild Card berth.
And there's no better candidate for that type of game, this season, than the Los Angeles Chargers.
But as we wait to see whether the Chargers can capitalize on the Ravens' vulnerabilities and come away with their first truly competitive game of this campaign, there will be plenty of action on Sunday to tide us over. Here are three games with at least some implications for Chargers fans—whether that involves draft standings or with former players (!!) making their debuts on new teams.
3 Sunday games that should have Chargers fans' interest ahead of MNF matchup vs. Ravens
Miami Dolphins @ Indianapolis Colts - 10:00 a.m. PST
Currently, the Chargers are the only team in the NFL that hasn't put together a victory. As depressing as that is, it means Los Angeles is in pole position for the first-overall pick in the NFL Draft. And with the shiny prize of Jeremiah Smith waiting there for the 'winner' of that sweepstakes, that's something that should have Chargers fans' interest every single week.
The 1-7 Dolphins will face off against the 2-7 Colts this week, meaning one of these teams has to come away with a win. Miami QB Malik Willis went on the IR earlier this week with a groin injury earlier this week, so it looks like Kyle McCord will be making his first NFL start against a Colts team that just tore things down at the deadline. It's not going to be a compelling game, but the best-case scenario here for Los Angeles is that the Dolphins somehow steal a victory, giving both teams two tallies in the win column and leaving the Chargers with some extra cushion in the race for the first-overall pick.
Tennessee Titans @ Jacksonville Jaguars - 10:00 a.m. PST
This is another draft-position affair here, and given the way Jacksonville has played to this point in the season, it feels relatively impossible for Tennessee to come away with their second win in this matchup. But the Titans only dealt away safety Amani Hooker at the deadline, and their offense surpassed the 20-point threshold in each of their three games preceding their bye in Week 9.
Two matchups against Jacksonville over the next three weeks certainly won't help things, but this is a spot where Tennessee can start to build some momentum—and any improvement from Cam Ward is a positive sign for the Chargers in terms of their draft standing.
San Francisco 49ers @ Dallas Cowboys - 1:25 p.m. PST
Keenan Allen being dealt to San Francisco wasn't one of the major moves of the deadline—but it has the potential to be a highly intriguing addition by the end of the season. Currently, the 49ers are down Mike Evans, Ricky Pearsall, De'Zhaun Stribling, and Christian Kirk. Even though they have the most efficient offense in the league currently, their top receiver heading into Week 10 was likely going to be Deebo Samuel.
Allen may not see a large snap share here in his first outing with his new organization, but at least he's out of the sinking ship that Indianapolis became around Week 4. And if San Francisco can maintain this complexion over the back half of the season, Allen's new team may very well be Super Bowl favorites by the time the postseason rolls around.
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