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Charger offensive stars Mike Williams (#81), Keenan Allen (#13), and Justin Hebert (#10). Photo courtesy of fffaceoff.com

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS – 64th SEASON

2022 Record: 10-7, second place in the AFC West

  • Lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Wild Card Playoff, 31-30, on a last second field goal after building a 27-0 lead

Coach: Brandon Staley, third season

Home: SoFi Stadium, capacity 70,240

Key Players:

  • Justin Hebert, QB – 68.2% completions, 4,739 passing yards, 25 TD, 10 INT
  • Austin Ekeler, RB – 915 rushing yards, 4.5 ypc, 12 TD // 107 receptions, 722 yards, 5 TD // 1,637 total yards
  • Josh Palmer, WR – 72 receptions, 769 yards, 3 TD
  • Keenan Allen, WR – 66 receptions, 752 yards, 4 TD
  • Mike Williams, WR – 63 receptions, 895 yards, 4 TD
  • Gerald Everett, TE – 58 receptions, 555 yards, 4 TD
  • Drue Tranquill, LB – 146 tackles, 10 TFL, 5.0 sacks
  • Derwin James, S – 115 tackles, 5 TFL, 4.0 sacks
  • Khalil Mack, LB – 50 tackles, 12 TFL, 8.0 sacks
  • Sebastian Joseph-Day, DT – 56 tackles, 9 TFL, 2.0 sacks
  • Kyle Van Noy, LB – 46 tackles, 8 TFL, 5.0 sacks
  • Morgan Fox, DL – 38 tackles, 8 TFL, 6.5 sacks
  • Bryce Callahan, CB – 47 tackles, 3 INT

First Season: 1960

Years In Los Angeles: Seventh since moving back to Los Angeles from San Diego in 2017, eighth overall

Conference Championships: One, in 1994

Division Championships: 15

Playoff Appearances: 20

First Game / First Home Game: vs Miami Dolphins on Sunday, September 10th

Chargers and former UCLA running back Joshua Kelley (#25) celebrating during their recent preseason game vs the San Francisco 49ers.Photo courtesy of twitter.com

Thoughts and Predictions:

I was glancing at last year’s preview of this team on this blog and noted that the one word which best described those Chargers at the end of 2021 was…

HEARTBREAKING.

If you multiply that description by about a hundred, that would be the perfect way to sum up the Chargers at the end of 2022 as well.

How else can one say otherwise when they cruising with a 27-0 lead in the second quarter over Jacksonville in their first round playoff game,

A game that by halftime had “Easy Blowout” written all it,

Only to see it all collapse like a sudden wildfire that destroyed everything in its path as those Bolts suffered a complete power shortage in getting outscored 31-3 the rest of the way and losing – and having their season end – by a last second field goal?

As sure as I’m typing this on my laptop, I know there were plenty of Charger fans either crying their eyes out or ordering new televisions due to them throwing bottles or something of that nature at their old TVs and breaking their screens.

While screaming their lungs out and trying not to turn into the Incredible Hulk in their anger.

However,

As they say, that is all history.

Water under the bridge, and…

Time to turn the page.

The biggest impression I have of Brandon Staley’s team, my most prevalent thought regarding those Bolts,

Is the fact that not only do they continue to be a good, solid team with a starting quarterback about to enter his prime, who I and everybody else expects to lead the Chargers to great things in the near future if not this upcoming season,

But also the fact that this is a hungry team that, much like last year,

While I don’t expect them to overtake the Kansas City Chiefs, who happen to be the reigning Super Bowl champions and will begin their quest to defend and keep their Vince Lombardi Trophy this coming weekend,

I certainly see those Bolts as solid contenders for the postseason, though they will probably have a dogfight with the formerly Oakland and now Las Vegas Raiders for one of the Wild Card spots as the two dates they have with the Silver and Black – October 1st and December 14th – will be huge.

As such,

I see the Bolts as being the better team among the two that will play their home games in SoFi Stadium this season,

With them winning ten or eleven games and earning that Wild Card berth.

The only change I want to see is for them to not wear their gold pants with their powder blue jerseys and white helmets at home;

I’ve always felt that was an ugly combination as their white pants would look so much better.

COMING LATER THIS WEEK:

My look at the Chargers’ SoFi Stadium roommates, the Los Angeles Rams, and whether or not I see them having a better season than their embarrassing 5-12 campaign of last year.

Be sure to watch for it as I continue my preview of SoCal’s two NFL teams!

Chargers quarterback Justin Hebert (#10) during a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Photo courtesy of boltsfromtheblue.com