The LA Chargers were guaranteed to play an AFC West foe in Week 18, and the NFL gave the Chargers arguably the worst matchup. Los Angeles will be on the road in Week 18 to take on Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos.
The Kansas City Chiefs have dominated the AFC West and in most instances, they would be the worst team to play to end the season. However, factoring in both weather and the likely stakes that will be on the line, it's safe to say the Chargers got the worst draw for Week 18.
Chargers' Week 18 game vs. Broncos is going to be as hard as it gets
Denver is the kind of place you want to play before Thanksgiving. Not only do the Broncos have a great home crowd, but both weather and elevation are factors. By playing in Week 18, there is a good chance the conditions are going to be miserable.
The Chargers are built to withstand a run-first atmosphere with both Omarion Hampton and Najee Harris in the running back room. However, it is still a big difference going from a dome in sunny Los Angeles to potential snow a mile above sea level.
If last year repeats itself, these two teams will be battling for playoff seeding, and potentially even a playoff spot. Barring a meltdown for either team, this game should have very high stakes for the NFL Playoffs.
Even a game against the Chiefs has less chance of having stakes. Kansas City often locks up its seeding before Week 18 and has made a habit of resting starters in Week 18. There's a higher chance of the Broncos having something to play for that impacts the Chargers than the Chiefs.
Then there is the Las Vegas Raiders. A home game against the Raiders in Week 18 would have been the best-case scenario for the Chargers. As promising as the Raiders' offseason has been, history tells us the Raiders will have nothing to play for in Week 18.
But alas, the Chargers may have their biggest game of the entire season on the road in unfriendly conditions.
This is the seventh time in the last eight years the Chargers will end the season on the road. The lone exception was 2023, when the Chargers went 5-12 after Justin Herbert suffered a season-ending broken finger.
If anything, Justin Herbert and the Chargers are used to playing in enemy territory in Week 18 with the season potentially on the line. At least fans can take solace in that.