Tags
AFC, AFC West, American Football Conference, Bolt Up, Bolts, Chargers, football, Inglewood, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Chargers, National Football League, NFL, pro football, SoFi Stadium, Super Bowl
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS – 63rd SEASON
2021 Record: 9-8, third place in the AFC West behind the Kansas City Chiefs and the Las Vegas Raiders
- No postseason appearance, as the Chargers lost to the Raiders on the last day of the regular season, 35-32, on a last second field goal in overtime in a game that had they won or tied would have put them in the playoffs
Coach: Brandon Staley, second season
Home: SoFi Stadium, capacity 70,240
Key Players (2021 stats):
- Justin Hebert, QB – 65.9% completions, 5.014 passing yards, 38 TD, 15 INT
- Austin Ekeler, RB – 911 rushing yards, 4.4 ypc, 12 TD // 70 receptions, 647 receiving yards, 8 TD
- Keenan Allen, WR – 106 receptions, 1138 yards, 6 TD
- Mike Williams, WR – 76 receptions, 1146 yards, 9 TD
- Derwin James, SS – 118 tackles, 7 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 2 INT
- Nasir Adderley, FS – 99 tackles, 3 TFL
- Drue Tranquill, LB – 76 tackles, 5 TFL, 1.5 sacks
- Joey Bosa, LB – 51 tackles, 5 TFL, 10.5 sacks
- Jerry Tillery, DE – 51 tackles, 6 TFL, 4.5 sacks
- Khalil Mack, LB – 19 tackles, 6 TFL, 6 sacks (in 7 games with the Chicago Bears)
First Season: 1960
Years in Los Angeles: Sixth since moving back to Los Angeles from San Diego in 2017, seventh overall
Conference Championships: One, in 1994
Division Championships: 15, the most recent one in 2009
Playoff Appearances: 19, the most recent one in 2018
First Game / First Home Game: Sunday, September 11th vs the Las Vegas Raiders at SoFi Stadium
Thoughts and Predictions:
The one word to ultimately describe those Chargers at the end of the 2021 season?
Heartbreaking.
How else could you describe a team that was knocked out of postseason contention on the very last day by a last second field goal in a game where it was literally “Winner Take All”.
As was, in the tradition of an old cliche,
“The winner moves on, the loser goes home.”
I think that was why they acquired one of the NFL’s elite defensive guys in Khalil Mack, the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2016 who’s also a four-time All-Pro and was voted onto the NFL’s 2010s All-Decade team.
Mack is one of those players who can get a team that is right there as far as real success (read: postseason) over the hump.
The Chargers certainly have enough talent otherwise, particularly on offense as to put it quite plainly, quarterback Justin Hebert, with the big numbers he has put up, is the face of that franchise, and barring any unfortunate disasters will be such for the next ten years if not more.
The big question is whether or not those Bolts can get over the hump and win what promises to be a dog brawl between them and the rest of the division as the Raiders, the Kansas City Chiefs (who everyone expected to go to last season’s Super Bowl until they faced the Cincinnati Bengals in that AFC Championship Game), and the Denver Broncos (who signed elite quarterback Russell Wilson) will all be formidable foes who will put up a strong challenge.
With Hebert, receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, and safety Derwin James and linebacker Joey Bosa to go along with Mack,
I see the Chargers as having as good a chance as the other three AFC West foes to win that division.
Which is why my prediction for that team for this season is,
- Ten or eleven wins and a Wild Card berth
I’m fairly confident that those Chargers will prove me right.
If nothing else,
I’m very much looking forward to the Chargers facing the Rams in a SoFi Stadium showdown that’s scheduled for New Year’s Day,
Which will likely go a long way as far as their playoff chances.
COMING LATER THIS WEEK:
My look at the defending Super Bowl champions and what I think the Rams’ chances are to repeat as such and to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy again.
Be sure to WATCH FOR IT & DON’T MISS IT!
SoCal Sports Chronicles 