The LA Chargers clinched a trip to the NFL Playoffs in Week 17 before finishing the season on the road against a four-win Las Vegas Raiders team. In this situation, many teams in the NFL would rest their starters to make sure they head into the NFL Playoffs healthy.
However, the Chargers have something to play for even though the playoffs are already a lock. With the Cincinnati Bengals beating the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday, the Chargers can jump to the fifth seed with a win over the Raiders.
This would match the Chargers up against the Houston Texans instead of the Baltimore Ravens. While Los Angeles would still be an underdog, this is a much more winnable game for the Bolts and a road game against the Ravens.
With all of these factors in mind, it seems pretty obvious what the Chargers are going to do with Justin Herbert and the rest of the starters.
Justin Herbert and the rest of the Chargers' starters will play against the Raiders
Head coach Jim Harbaugh was very direct about his team's intentions heading into Week 18. Harbaugh stressed the importance of the fifth seed and that the team would be playing to win to secure said fifth seed.
If the Steelers won on Saturday then there would have been a nuanced conversation about playing the starters and if it was worth it for the Chargers. With something on the line, Harbaugh has already given fans the answer on who is playing in Week 18.
The big question is how much the starters will play in this game. In a perfect world, the Chargers could jump out to a big enough lead and pull Herbert out of the game and rely on the defense to stop a bad Raiders offense.
However, even if its a two-score game in the second half it will likely be too close for the Chargers to bench all the starters. The Chargers absolutely need to win this game as the only path to making a somewhat deep playoff run is to play the Texans in the first round.
As long as nothing goes sideways, the Chargers starters should be able to make quick work of the Raiders in Week 18. The main hope is that the Chargers can take care of business and stay healthy while doing it.