The LA Chargers have battled more adversity than any team in the league this season and have not folded. While it hasn't always been pretty, the Bolts have battled to a 5-4 record that has put them right in the mix in the AFC playoff picture.
The AFC playoff picture is extremely crowded and muddied and a lot has to happen in the next four weeks or so until we get a clear picture of the teams that are actually in the hunt in the last few weeks of the season. The Chargers are hoping to be one of those teams.
If the Chargers want to make the playoffs they are likely going to have to reach 10 wins, as the difference between a 10-win season and a 9-win season is drastic for their playoff chances.
If the team is going to reach 10 wins then it is going to have to come away with victories in some very important games. Every game now down the stretch is important, but there are a few that stand out above the rest.
The most important games remaining on the Chargers schedule:
Week 11 vs Kansas City Chiefs
This Week 11 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs is easily one of the most important games of the season. While it might seem far-fetched now, if the Chargers want any chance of actually competing for the AFC West crown then they have to win this game.
If the Bolts were to beat the Chiefs on Sunday they would move to 6-4 on the season while Kansas City would be 7-3. The Chiefs would no longer have the head-to-head tiebreaker, as the Chargers would split the season series at one apiece.
The Chargers would essentially have to win out from there or at the very most lose one game if they were to win the AFC West. What better way to start out a hot streak than by getting healthier in Week 11 and upsetting the Chiefs on primetime?
If the Chiefs win this game then the AFC West race will be over as Kansas City would have a three-game lead and the tiebreaker. The Chargers would then have to finish with a 5-2 record to realistically make the playoffs.