The LA Chargers' schedule was released this past week, marking the start of prediction season. Fans and analysts alike are predicting what record the Chargers will end up with, and in usual fashion, analysts are more timid on the Chargers than the fan base.
ESPN's Kris Rhim, who is on the Chargers' beat, put together a record prediction that the fanbase is not happy with. If you predict anything fewer than 11 wins (what the team won last season) it is getting ripped apart on social media. Rhim went much lower than that.
In his piece following the Chargers 'schedule release, Rhim had the bold prediction that the Chargers will win fewer than double-digit games in 2025. This kind of prediction is viewed as overly pessimistic and was not received well by fans.
"The Chargers won't win double-digit games. Of the Chargers' 11 wins last season, just three came over teams with a winning record, with two wins over the Denver Broncos and one over Cincinnati. L.A. benefited mightily from the NFL's fifth easiest schedule in 2024 and beat up on some of the league's worst teams in Harbaugh's first season," Rhim pens.
"With a much harder schedule and the Chargers roster not much improved from last season, it will be an uphill battle for this team to hit double-digit wins in 2025."
Kris Rhim might be right about his Chargers record prediction
At the risk of receiving the same negative feedback as Rhim, the ESPN beat reporter has a point. The Chargers benefited from one of the easiest schedules in the league last season and do not have that luxury this time around.
The Chargers were 3-5 against winning teams with two losses against the Kansas City Chiefs, a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, a loss to the Baltimore Ravens, and a blowout loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Add in the Chargers' blowout loss against the Houston Texans in the AFC Wild Card round and the team's track record against winning teams was not great.
Counting the playoff game, the Chargers had a point differential of -48 in those nine games. Sure, the two blowouts do a lot of heavy lifting, but the Chargers didn't beat a fellow winning team by more than one score.
The quarterbacks on the Chargers' schedule are also much tougher than they were a year ago. Sure, the Chargers played like the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson. But the team also played Week 2 Bryce Young, Justin Fields, Jameis Winston, Gardner Minshew, Aidan O'Connell, Will Levis, Spencer Rattler, Jake Haener, and the ghost of Kirk Cousins (who was later benched).
There are still some bad quarterbacks on the Chargers' schedule in 2025 but the median is much higher. As great as Jesse Minter is, the defense is naturally going to take a step back with tougher opponents in 2025.
Are the Chargers capable of winning double-digit games? Absolutely, and their final record should be right around that 10-win mark. However, after an offseason where most of the fanbase complained about the team not adding enough help, it feels disingenous to expect better results in 2025 if the road ahead is much tougher.