Playoffs Start Now for Staley, Herbert in Critical Game vs. Broncos
There is no way to sugarcoat how important these next two games are for the future of the Los Angeles Chargers. They must win these next two games regardless of what happens around them.
They had a spot in the playoffs all season long, and when the calendar turned to December, Chargers head coach Brandon Staley said this is the month you have to be playing your best football.
The Chargers started it off with a massive victory against the red-hot Cincinnati Bengals and a good blowout win against the New York Giants.
They followed it up with a slugfest against the Kansas City Chiefs in a game decided by the injury to safety Derwin James. The Chargers almost gained control of the division, but they ended up losing, and now the Chiefs have won the division for the sixth year in a row. Fine.
Going into the game against the Houston Texans, they still controlled their own playoff destiny. They allowed Davis Mills and Rex Burkhead to score 28 points on their defense while the offense couldn't put the ball in the end zone.
They fell out of the playoff picture.
Instead of being independent, they become dependent. They need the Rams to beat the Ravens while also needing the Titans to beat the Dolphins.
First thing is first, the Chargers need to take care of business this weekend.
"Just taking control of what we can," Chargers receiver Keenan Allen said. "This week would be a big win. It's a division game. It starts now; playoff games start now. That's the mindset. We have to go and control what we can."
Denver is coming into SoFi Stadium a little ticked off because they are barely holding on to a less than one percent chance at making it to the playoffs, plus like a lot of teams, they expected more out of their team.
They would like nothing more than to spoil their division rival's chances at making the playoffs.
"Right now, we're just taking it one day at a time," Chargers defensive tackle Linval Joseph explained. "Like [Head] Coach [Brandon Staley] said earlier this week, 'When your back is against the wall, what are you going to do? Are you going to fight, or are you going to give up?' Now, this is really going to tell us what type of team we have, so I'm excited to go to work today, go to practice, see where everybody's spirit's at and take it one day at a time."
It seems like the Chargers aren't trying to make this more than what it is, which means they just need to go out and win a football game.
The problem is that these next two games will be really telling about the future of the Chargers. It is the first time in the Staley/Herbert era that this team faces a do-or-die game this season. They have had some hiccups and some slip-ups, but this weekend they need to play perfect football.
The way head coaches and quarterbacks are judged is by making the playoffs. Two years of no playoff appearances for Justin Herbert would be a crime. The NFL world wants to see what this young quarterback can do in the playoffs.
"We do have a young team, so to take a loss like that last week, we have to respond," Joseph said. "Now, it's now or never. You don't want to put it in everybody else's hands; you want it to be in your hands. We have to go out there and do what we have to do. We have to go out there and get it done this Sunday."
It seems like the Chargers are a year away from being big-time playoff competitors, but why not be a year ahead of schedule. They need to get in so that these young players learn what it is like to be in the playoffs.
This is a young Chargers team that only has 12 players from the last time they went to the playoffs in 2018, and nine of them contributed to that team. Plus, they have only six other veteran players who have experienced playoff football.
When there are big games like this, a young team listens to veterans like Joseph and Allen for guidance.
"I think just coming together as a team, being able to make plays when it's time to make plays and then complementing each other," Allen explained. "When we do make plays, defensively, we have to compliment them on offense, and vice-versa, then get special teams involved."
This is also a great opportunity to see what a young coach like Staley will do in certain situations. He is learning just as the players are throughout this whole season.
The Chargers have won some key games this season like Kansas City week three, Cleveland week five, Pittsburgh week 11, and Cincinnati week 13. They have also had some critical losses, like against New England, Minnesota, Kansas City, and Houston.
They have won playing their style of football, which is putting the ball in their quarterback's hand, play mistake free, and bend but don't break on defense. Also, sprinkle in going for it on fourth down in crucial situations. They have been methodical when doing it, not reckless, which is why it isn't a huge problem if they go for it.
The Brandon Staley and Justin Herbert era has gotten off to a good start with some key wins, but what will define their season is these next two games. There is a lot of hope that these two can turn around the Chargers fortunes.
Maybe they can be the franchise that controls the AFC West for the next few years. It all starts with the game against the Broncos this weekend. If the Chargers can win it, they have put themselves in an excellent position to return to the playoffs after a three-year absence and give fans hope for a bright future.
"I think there's only pressure if you make it, and the guys feel the urgency," Herbert said. "They know that these games mean a lot. It's all about going out there and executing and playing the football that we know that we're capable of."
