While the Los Angeles Chargers knew full well going into their Monday Night Football matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles that they couldn't gain any ground in the AFC West, as the Denver Broncos won their ninth straight game on Sunday, improving to 11-2 with a win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
But the Bolts obviously wanted to keep pace in the division—which the Kansas City Chiefs can no longer win, by the way—as they've already beaten the Broncos once, with the second matchup between the two clubs set for Week 18. The Chargers also obviously wanted to maintain their position in the top wild-card slot in the conference, as they entered the week holding that No. 5 slot in the AFC standings.
And lo and behold, behind a gutsy performance from Justin Herbert, a perfect night from Cameron Dicker, and a stellar defensive outing in which Jesse Minter's unit intercepted Jalen Hurts four times, the Bolts went out and accomplished their goal, taking a wild 22-19 overtime victory over the reigning Super Bowl champs to improve to 9-4 on the season.
The Chargers continue to hold the No. 5 slot in the AFC heading into Week 15
Here's a look at the updated AFC playoff picture heading into Week 15. You'll notice that only 12 of the 16 teams in the conference have been included, as the New York Jets (3-10), Cleveland Browns (3-10), Las Vegas Raiders (2-11), and Tennessee Titans (2-11) have all been officially eliminated from postseason contention.
Updated AFC playoff picture
- Denver Broncos (11-2, 1st AFC West)
- New England Patriots (11-2, 1st AFC East)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4, 1st AFC South)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6, 1st AFC North)
- Los Angeles Chargers (9-4, 2nd AFC West)
- Buffalo Bills (9-4, 2nd AFC East)
- Houston Texans (8-5, 2nd AFC South)
- Indianapolis Colts (8-5, 3rd AFC South)
- Baltimore Ravens (6-7, 2nd AFC North)
- Kansas City Chiefs (6-7, 3rd AFC West)
- Miami Dolphins (6-7, 3rd AFC East)
- Cincinnati Bengals (4-9, 3rd AFC North)
As you can see, the Chargers own the same 9-4 record as the Buffalo Bills but continue to hold the No. 5 slot due to having a better record in conference games. Los Angeles has gone 7-2 against AFC opponents thus far, while Buffalo has gone 6-3.
As mentioned, the win also helped the Chargers keep pace with the Broncos, who currently own the No. 1 seed in the AFC, as they have a better record in conference games than the second-seeded New England Patriots.
For the Bolts to have any chance at the AFC West, they'll obviously need to keep winning themselves but will also need the Broncos to lose at least one game before meeting up with them in Week 18, a defeat that could possibly come Sunday, as Denver is set to take on the Green Bay Packers, who currently own the No. 2 seed in the NFC after taking over first place in the NFC North on Sunday with a win over the Chicago Bears.
The Chargers, meanwhile, will spend the rest of this week prepping for their Sunday matchup with the Chiefs, who fell to 6-7 this past Sunday night with a loss to the Houston Texans, who are right there in the mix in both the AFC South race and the wild-card race at 8-5. Los Angeles and Houston will meet in Week 17, and it'll be very interesting to see what's all on the line at that point.