The LA Chargers stumbled into the bye week after an ugly loss to the Seattle Seahawks desperately needing the break. Los Angeles is not only battling some of the worst injury luck in the league but has showcased some questionable coaching decisions as a whole that have led to an interesting start to the season.
The Bolts have a 4-3 record but with the level of opponent faced, many expected this team to be 5-2 at worst at the bye. Plus, it is not like it has been a good 4-3. Los Angeles does not have a definitive win while having two definitive losses. The team has the sixth-worst average scoring margin this season.
It is hard to know what to expect out of this team out of the bye. As they get healthier, and Justin Herbert's ribs continue to heal, things should seemingly get easier. But it is never that simple with this team. That won't stop us from predicting what will happen after the bye week.
Predicting every Chargers game after the bye week in 2022:
Week 9 at Atlanta Falcons: 30-28 WIN
This is going to be an interesting game as there are two teams that have struggled a lot on the defensive side of the ball that have weaknesses that line up with the other offense. Atlanta has one of the worst passing defenses in the NFL while the Chargers still struggle to contain the run and stop explosive plays.
This is going to be a scoring fest and while Justin Herbert's weapons are really limited, the lack of a strong defense will propel the Chargers to a better game offensively. This is going to be the Keenan Allen show as he gets back in-tune with his star quarterback.
The Chargers will be up 30-21 in the fourth quarter, allow the Falcons to score to bring it within two and then Herbert will find Allen for a big completion late to help milk the clock and secure the win.
Week 10 at San Francisco 49ers: 27-17 LOSS
As optimistic as I want to be as a Chargers fan, it is really hard to see a path to victory against a 49ers team that is just built to give the Chargers fits. Offensively, the 49ers have too many dynamic weapons for this defense to stop, especially with the addition of Christian McCaffrey.
Defensively, even with the injuries, the 49ers have one of the best pass-rushes in the league and have not allowed teams to score very many points. If this was a fully healthy Chargers team it would be a different conversation but that is not the case. This game feels like another ugly loss, and truly will be when Joe Lombardi's seat starts to get hot.