Anything short of a playoff berth for the LA Chargers this season is going to be deemed a failure. After one of the most aggressive offseasons in franchise history, this team simply has far too much talent to not be one of the final 14 teams standing in January.
The Bolts have not gotten off to the start that fans were hoping for as they currently sit with a 3-2 record. While that record might seem disappointing thus far, with the parity in the NFL, the Chargers are actually in a good position with a 3-2 record.
That playoff positioning improved on Sunday in Week 6 without the Bolts even playing a snap. LA hosts the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football and after Sunday morning's slate of games, the Chargers can jump firmly in the driver's seat for a potential playoff spot.
The early slate of Week 6 games yielded two great outcomes for the Chargers.
The league's parity was on full display in Week 6's slate of games, proving that a 3-2 record for the Chargers is not a bad thing. After the morning slate of games, there were only six teams in the AFC that had better than a .500 record thus far.
Granted, the Chargers have not played yet and they could see themselves falling back into the pack. A win over Denver would propel them to 4-2, though, which would be one of the best records in the AFC. They would become one of four teams to have four wins through six weeks this season.
The two outcomes that favored the Chargers were the Baltimore Ravens losing to the New York Giants and the Miami Dolphins losing to the Minnesota Vikings. Those are two teams that could be fighting with the Chargers for a playoff spot as a wild card and these losses could give the Chargers a one-game cushion over those teams.
It is way too early in the season to start counting down the games but what these losses mean is just as important. This shows that these other AFC contending teams are bound for stinkers, just like the Chargers. This proves that the Chargers might not have to win 10-11 games to get a wild-card spot, which was the assumption previously.
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Obviously, every Chargers fan wants to see the team win double-digit games this season. But a 9-8 record might be good enough for a wild-card spot and if the Chargers start 4-2, they will be in a good position to finish with a 9-8 record or better.