In Week 16 of the NFL season, the Los Angeles Chargers achieved a crucial 34-17 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, improving their season record to 11-4. This win was vital for their playoff hopes, as they trailed the Denver Broncos by two games in the AFC West standings. However, the Chargers were fortunate to receive unexpected assistance from the Jacksonville Jaguars, who ended the Broncos’ impressive 11-game winning streak with a 34-20 victory, dropping Denver to 12-3.
With this outcome, the Chargers find themselves in a position to control their own destiny in the division. A win against the Houston Texans in Week 17, followed by another victory over the Broncos in Week 18, would secure the Chargers’ first AFC West title since 2009, regardless of the Broncos’ performance against the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas night. However, if Los Angeles loses either of those upcoming games, the division title would go to Denver.
Assuming the Chargers can finish the season with a 13-4 record, they would eliminate the Broncos and Texans from contention for the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, as well as the potential AFC North champions, whether it be the Pittsburgh Steelers or Baltimore Ravens. The teams left that could match or surpass the Chargers’ 13 victories would be the New England Patriots (currently 12-3), the Jaguars (11-4), and the Buffalo Bills (11-4).
To clinch the No. 1 seed, the Chargers will need some favorable outcomes in the remaining games. For instance, they would require the Patriots to lose at least one of their final two games against the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins. New England winning both games would likely keep their playoff hopes intact.
Additionally, the Chargers hope for the Bills to also defeat the Eagles and Jets, as their path to an NFC East title hinges on the Patriots dropping a game. If both the Bills and the Chargers were to finish 13-4, Los Angeles would hold the edge in a tiebreaker based on their superior conference record.
However, the scenario becomes more complicated if the Jaguars manage to win their last two games against the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans. If Jacksonville finishes 13-4, they would have definitively bested the Chargers in their earlier match this season, resulting in a head-to-head disadvantage for Los Angeles.
In a three-way tie scenario involving the Chargers, Jaguars, and either the Patriots or Bills, things would not look favorable for Los Angeles either. The Chargers would likely once again lose out due to their earlier defeat to the Jaguars, emphasizing the need for both the Jaguars and Patriots to stumble in their final games.
While this path requires some assistance from other teams, the Chargers can take solace in their ability to control their own fate within the division. Should they secure the wins needed to claim the AFC West title, it would mark a significant turnaround for the franchise, giving fans hope as the playoffs approach.