Maybe it’s a confidence thing. Or a momentum thing. It might be both.
Whatever “it” is, it has been obvious when the Chargers have had it within their grasp and when they haven’t had it. Sometimes they’ve had it and lost it within the same game or quarter or half. On rare occasions, they’ve had it from start to finish, propelled to a comprehensive victory.
Sometimes the Chargers’ offense has had it and their defense hasn’t had it.
Sometimes it’s been the other way around.
When the Chargers have needed it most, when games have been on the line, they have grabbed it and taken a victory from an opponent. They did it in their most recent game, a rousing come-from-behind 34-27 victory over the AFC West rival Denver Broncos last week at SoFi Stadium.
“I think it is a huge momentum boost, being able to win a game like that, a tough game like that, against a very good opponent,” Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert said. “To be able to build off that, to see some good things offensively and defensively, I think the signs are good there.”
Can they do it again Saturday, when they can clinch an AFC wild-card berth with a victory over the New England Patriots in Foxborough, Massachusetts? The Chargers are second in the AFC West and sixth out of seven teams in the conference playoff seedings with a 9-6 record. The Patriots are 3-12.
“I do think that momentum is real, and so to sort of feel us as a defensive unit get our momentum back, yeah, it’s huge,” defensive coordinator Jesse Minter said earlier this week of the Chargers’ second-half defensive play against Denver. “Hopefully it’s something we can carry into our preparation this week, which I think the guys have.”
Meaningful games have been few and far between for the Chargers in December and January over the years. They did storm into the playoffs two years ago with victories in four of their final five games, securing an AFC wild-card berth with some dominating play over lackluster opponents.
You might recall the Chargers’ hopes for an extended playoff run were derailed with an epic collapse during their wild-card loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, when they squandered a 27-0 lead in the second quarter en route to a 31-30 loss. Or, if you’re a diehard fan, you might have forgotten the whole thing.
Last season, the Chargers’ stretch run featured the firing of Brandon Staley as coach and Tom Telesco as general manager after a 63-21 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Dec. 14, 2023. They lost their last five games, ending the season with a 5-12 record and ushering in a new era with Jim Harbaugh as their new coach.
In their first season with Harbaugh as coach and Joe Hortiz as GM, the Chargers stand poised to earn a playoff berth for only the third time since leaving San Diego for Los Angeles before the 2017 season. It hasn’t been a rip-roaring season, but the Chargers have won plenty.
Now they need a victory Saturday against an overmatched opponent.
Confidence remains high after the Chargers’ victory over the Broncos.
According to Harbaugh, Herbert stood on the sideline before the game against Denver and eased the pregame tension by comparing it to the free-and-easy feeling he got before playing in a pickup basketball game. There was pressure, to be sure, but it was nothing the Chargers couldn’t overcome.
“It definitely feels better after a win,” Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. said. “Everybody has the same sense of urgency to get better. Just having fun and having the confidence, the belief in ourselves and believing in each other. There’s never a time I don’t feel prepared. That’s just what we do.”
Soon enough, the Chargers overcame the Broncos and whatever jitters they might have had before the game to move within sight of a playoff berth. Now, all they need is one more victory, either in Week 17 against New England or in Week 18 against the Las Vegas Raiders, and they’re locked into the postseason.
Two victories would be better than one in terms of playoff seeding.
“I think of it as the football gods,” Harbaugh said. “I think the team that steps up, gives everything it has, pours everything into it, plays together, plays unselfishly, plays for each other, and they (the Chargers) were rewarded for that Thursday night (in their Dec. 19 victory over the Broncos).”
CHARGERS (9-6) at PATRIOTS (3-12)
When: Saturday, 10 a.m. PT
Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.
TV/radio: NFL Network/98.7 FM; 105.5 FM, 94.3 FM (Spanish)