So if the chargers win the AFC west next season

[Brees#1]

will it be because they don't play a Thursday night game and KC has to go to Oakland, and Denver has to go to Indy?

 

[Fountain City Blues]

No. Would mean Rivers is effective both halves of the season, they are healthy, and had another good draft.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

The Chargers are behind the Chiefs negligibly in FO's projections (8~ wins) and ahead of the Broncos, but I don't think the Chargers have demonstrated that they are going to be healthy whatsoever since about 2010 or so. At some point that is just their norm until proven otherwise. Raiders are at 9~ median wins.

 

[Brees#1]

Rivers's effectiveness wasn't so much the issue as it was he had no playmakers. They lost nine games by less than a TD without their star receiver and Woodhead. I hate to say what would happen if Allen didn't get hurt. SD could have won that division and gone 13-3.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

Rivers's effectiveness wasn't so much the issue as it was he had no playmakers. They lost nine games by less than a TD without their star receiver and Woodhead. I hate to say what would happen if Allen didn't get hurt. SD could have won that division and gone 13-3.

I don't think Allen made it so they lacked a threat at safety (Malik Hooker?) or a cover LB (Spencer Ware was running post routes out of the backfield in week 1 for god's sake) and have Varrett be made of balsa wood. Yeah, Allen hurt, but he's usually hurt too so that's not an explanation so much as an excuse to me; but then again that could just be my Chiefs fan hating on them. I can see them in the WC conversation but the division is a really tough sell for me. Would be a near inside straight to reach their 'ceiling.'

 

[Born to run]

The Chargers could win the division this year if the team stays healthy, I'm sick of all the injuries. Rivers needs to have a great year or his time in San Diego could be coming to an end.

 

[Lakers+USC=#1]

Lol please!

 

[SoCalWizFan]

If they do it will because of the huge advantage & intimidating crowd at their stadium this season that is the size of many high school stadiums in Texas.

 

[Brees#1]

Oh wait I forgot about Thanksgiving. So they are playing on short rest.

 

[Rex Racer]

will it be because they don't play a Thursday night game and KC has to go to Oakland, and Denver has to go to Indy?

I ain't happenin. Oakland will win the AFC West, Denver will take 2nd because their defense has one or two years left and the Chargers will be scrapping for 3rd place and another season without the playoffs.

It's too bad because I like Rivers, he's a gamer and all that, but he can't carry a bad defense and a lightweight coach too.

 

[Manster7588]

Not an issue, SD is not winning AFC West

 

[Brees#1]

I ain't happenin. Oakland will win the AFC West, Denver will take 2nd because their defense has one or two years left and the Chargers will be scrapping for 3rd place and another season without the playoffs.

It's too bad because I like Rivers, he's a gamer and all that, but he can't carry a bad defense and a lightweight coach too.

Denver finishes second? They went 9-7 beating one of the easiest schedules last year.

 

[Brees#1]

And KC last?

 

[Lakers+USC=#1]

I ain't happenin. Oakland will win the AFC West, Denver will take 2nd because their defense has one or two years left and the Chargers will be scrapping for 3rd place and another season without the playoffs.

It's too bad because I like Rivers, he's a gamer and all that, but he can't carry a bad defense and a lightweight coach too.

No way KC finishes last.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

No way KC finishes last.

Only way that happens is

A) Alex Smith gets hurt
B) They don't draft one of the top 4 QB's

The floor isn't really the problem with KC's roster outside of QB atm due to the lack of a backup. They have never finished worse than 10th in DVOA during the Reid era and have been in the top 5 the last two years; Alex Smith played at least 14 games in all 4 years..

 

[cdumler7]

Denver finishes second? They went 9-7 beating one of the easiest schedules last year.

One of the easiest schedules? 7 of the 16 games were against playoff teams. Throw in if we are talking easy schedules then what does that say about the Saints and the NFC South since that is the division they played?

As for the original question Chargers had much more go wrong than just losing Allen. They don't have a great training staff as injuries seem to be a constant for the Chargers. So either they draft players with injury histories or they have a staff that doesn't know how to keep their guys healthy. I lean the latter side of things. So I don't see that improving. OL wise they just lost a couple of starters (not great starters but starters none the less) and only signed Okung (very injury prone) in the hopes that he pans out. I don't see the OL being improved this year for them.

Yes they lost a lot of close games last year. So I do think they can be improved. Still to me one of the hardest things for them this upcoming season is the fact that they are moving to LA and on top of that playing at a soccer stadium. Good chance early on that visiting fans rule the stadium as San Diego people don't seem to want to drive up for the games and well LA people are kind of meh on the team.

 

[GeekSportsFan]

The Chargers are behind the Chiefs negligibly in FO's projections (8~ wins) and ahead of the Broncos, but I don't think the Chargers have demonstrated that they are going to be healthy whatsoever since about 2010 or so. At some point that is just their norm until proven otherwise. Raiders are at 9~ median wins.

The Chargers have some glaring issues that will prevent them from winning more than eight games: No go to receiver, weak at LB, and a injury riddled offensive line. They are two to three years away from getting back into the playoffs. Not to mention that Rivers is on the downside of his career, and the Chargers need to start thinking about who will step in next.