What needs to happen for the LA Chargers to make the playoffs in 2021
By Jason Reed
The Miami Dolphins need to lose one game
The LA Chargers need the Miami Dolphins to also lose a game this season. Like the Ravens, if the Chargers lose one of the final two games then the Bolts would need the Dolphins to lose twice. This article is also being written before the Monday Night Football game against the New Orleans Saints.
The Dolphins should be able to take care of business against the Saints. The Saints' quarterback room, which was already struggling, was hit with COVID-19 and New Orleans is forced to start rookie Ian Book. While crazier things have happened, it would be legitimately shocking if Book beat this Miami defense in his first career start.
Beating the Saints would raise the Dolphins' win streak to seven games and cement their place as the hottest team in the league. Quite frankly, Miami got a tad unlucky to start the season both in the games they lost and in losing Tua Tagovailoa to injury. This is a Dolphins team that could easily already be at nine wins this season.
The Dolphins are a good team but the good thing for the Chargers is that they have tough matchups to end the season. The Dolphins are on the road against the Tennessee Titans in Week 17 and while the Titans' offense is not the same without Derrick Henry, they are still a very well-coached team that is really hard to beat at home.
Then the Dolphins have to host the New England Patriots, who are also one of the best-coached teams in the league and are a playoff team. Miami may have beaten New England earlier this year, but it took an extremely lucky Damien Harris fumble.
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The Chargers' final two games are definitely easier than the final two games for both Baltimore and Ravens. In fact, if you had to rank the final six games the Broncos and Raiders games would probably rank fifth and sixth. The problem is that the Bolts have been wildly inconsistent.