The NFL playoff picture is starting to take shape with 13 weeks in the books. While anything can happen down the stretch, there are not as many teams in the hunt ready to usurp a team in playoff position as in previous years. This is great news for the LA Chargers, who are looking to make the playoffs in Jim Harbaugh's first season as head coach.
The Chargers hold a 2.5-game lead over the eighth-seeded Indianapolis Colts with only five games to play. With two games against teams in the top five of the 2025 NFL Draft order to close the 2024 season, the Chargers have all but locked up a playoff spot after going 5-12 a year ago.
However, the Chargers still have a lot to play for when it comes to playoff seeding. The Chargers are currently the No. 5 seed in the AFC and control their destiny with where they finish in the AFC wild-card picture. As far as the Chargers are concerned, the No. 5 seed presents the best opportunity to make some noise in the NFL Playoffs.
Seed/Team | Record |
|---|---|
1. Kansas City Chiefs | 11-1 |
2. Buffalo Bills | 10-2 |
3. Pittsburgh Steelers | 9-3 |
4. Houston Texans | 8-5 |
5. LA Chargers | 8-4 |
6. Baltimore Ravens | 8-5 |
7. Denver Broncos | 8-5 |
Current NFL standings are perfect for the LA Chargers
If the season were to end today the Chargers would play the AFC South-winning Houston Texans in the first round of the playoffs. The Chargers couldn't ask for a better first-round matchup and should hope this holds until the end of the regular season.
Houston is a talented team but it is the most beatable out of the four division winners. Kansas City and Buffalo are legitimate Super Bowl contenders while Pittsburgh is an extremely hard team to beat on the road in January with that defense. The Texans, meanwhile, match up quite well for the Chargers.
The Texans have limped their way to an 8-5 record without many impressive wins under their belt. Houston has only beaten one team with a winning record (the Bills, ironically enough) with losses to the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, New York Jets, Detroit Lions and Tennessee Titans.
CJ Stroud has not been the same this season and Houston's offense has been less than impressive. The Texans currently rank 12th in points per game and 13th in points allowed. They have a point differential of +20, which is by far the worst of any team in the AFC playoff picture.
Every other playoff team in the AFC ranks in the top 10 in either points scored or points allowed (some teams rank in the top 10 in both). With no truly elite side of the ball, the Texans present the smallest talent gap for the Chargers to overcome.
Finishing with the fifth seed would also set the Chargers up nicely for the second round. If all of the divisional winners win in the Wild-Card Round then the Chargers would have to play the No. 1 seed. However, if another wild-card team upsets a division winner then suddenly the Chargers have a favorable matchup.
In a perfect (albeit unrealistic) world, the Chargers would beat the Texans while whoever the No. 7 seed is beats the No. 2 seed in the Wild Card Round. If that happens, the No. 1 seed would play the No. 7 seed and the Chargers would play the No. 3 seed, who right now is the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In this dream scenario, the Chargers could potentially get to the AFC Championship Game without having to play either the Chiefs or the Bills. Los Angeles will most likely have to beat one of those teams eventually, but getting as far as possible without having to play either team is a blessing.
And that blessing may only possible if the Chargers finish as the No. 5 seed in the AFC.