The LA Chargers are once again on primetime in Week 9 as the team will be on the road to take on the New York Jets on Monday Night Football. With both teams being likely AFC Wild Card contenders, this Week 9 primetime game has more stakes than a traditional Week 9 game.
It is also the most compelling matchup of the entire week. It might not be the most entertaining but it is certainly the hardest to gauge. On one side there is the Chargers, who have a solid offense led by Justin Herbert with a defense that has struggled immensely. On the other side is the Jets, with an elite defense that has not allowed two offensive touchdowns and a bad offense piloted by Zach Wilson.
The stoppable force is meeting the movable object in Week 9, so it will come down to which team's strength can carry the weakness. Unfortunately for the Chargers, the team's offensive strength is likely taking a big hit, as Joshua Palmer still is not out practicing on Friday.
WR Josh Palmer (knee) not practicing today #Chargers
— Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) November 3, 2023
Chargers will likely be without Joshua Palmer against the Jets
Joshua Palmer was dealing with a knee injury heading into Sunday Night Football last week and decided to play after being a game-time decision. That decision proved to be a costly one, as Palmer re-injured his knee in the contest, likely leading to this situation against the Jets.
Palmer has not been ruled out quite yet, but it does not bode well for the third-year receiver if he still has not practiced three days before the team is set to play the game.
Without Palmer, the Chargers are going to be scrambling against a good Jets defense. The Jets have one of the very few players in the league that can go one-on-one against Keenan Allen, Sauce Gardner, and that is going to make a world of difference.
If Gardner limits Allen then Herbert is going to have to turn to his other weapons. Those weapons consist of an unproven Quentin Johnston, a gadget play receiver in Derius Davis and a speedster making his return from a torn ACL in Jalen Guyton. There is a lot of uncertainty in that wide receiver room.
Herbert will also have Austin Ekeler, Gerald Everett and Donald Parham to throw the ball to. That is not necessarily a murderer's row of weapons to come up against this Jets offense, though.
Palmer might not be the WR1 on the Chargers but having him healthy and in the game makes a massive difference with Mike Williams out of the picture. With Palmer likely missing, we could see a game similar to the Dallas Cowboys game on Monday Night Football — if not worse.
The Chargers took a blow but are still favored to win and FanDuel Sportsbook is giving you a $150 bonus if they get the victory! New users who bet $5 or more on the Chargers' moneyline odds to beat the Jets will receive an extra $150 in bonus bets if Los Angeles wins. Sign up for FanDuel now and let's finish the job on Monday.