Jim Harbaugh, Justin Herbert and the Chargers can now finish off the Chiefs

Look how quickly things can change in the NFL.

Jim Harbaugh’s sudden turnaround of the Los Angeles Chargers is a great example.

Even better, perhaps, is Harbaugh’s Chargers possibly finishing off the Kansas City Chiefs’ dynasty in the span of a week or so, starting Monday night.

With Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs going down at the hands of the Houston Texans in Arrowhead in Week 14, the stunning drop to 6-7 (hello, fellow kids) eliminates any chance the Chiefs have of winning the AFC West.

And since the Chargers sit at 8-4 and play the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night and those Chiefs next Sunday in Week 15, the Chargers can effectively finish the Chiefs’ season for them in Arrowhead.

Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh — Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

One might say easier said than done here. But Justin Herbert and the Chargers already beat Mahomes and the Chiefs back in Week 1, going international to Brazil and making it happen in 27-21 fashion.

Much has changed since then, but the Chiefs’ oddly good fortune has regressed to the mean and the record has gone right with it. The Chargers have a tendency to flop in trap games this year (losses to New York, Washington and Jacksonville), but have stepped up big against contenders.

The Chargers have also stepped up big against division rivals, which is a huge part of this. They’re 4-0 in the AFC West already, one of just two teams to beat Denver all year and would move to 5-0 with a win over the Chiefs next week.

Chiefs are at 17% playoff odds. They need:
1) 4-0 vs. LAC, TEN, DEN, LV. Favorites x4.
2) Root against Chargers, Colts w/o Jones.

Chargers schedule: PHI, DAL, HOU, DEN
Colts schedule: SEA, SF, JAX, HOU
— Hayden Winks (@HaydenWinks) December 8, 2025

Overall, the Chargers still have a tough outlook to close the season: It’s a gauntlet against Philadelphia, Kansas City, Dallas, Houston and Denver.

But the Eagles have lost two in a row and are 8-4. The Chiefs have struggled, clearly. Dallas is 6-6-1 and out of its last three, won two games by a combined six points and just lost by 14.

The window for the Chargers to essentially secure a wild card spot while putting an end to the Chiefs is right there. It starts Monday night in primetime against the Eagles at home while Herbert powers through an injury just one week removed from surgery.

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