The 2022 season ended in the worst way possible for the Los Angeles Chargers. The team finished with a 10-7 record in the regular season. They blew a 27-point lead in the wild-card weekend against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Quarterback Justin Herbert has continued to rise and improve, but that signature win still eludes him. The Chargers finished second in the AFC West behind the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
The Charges brought over Kellen Moore in the offseason to be their new offensive coordinator. They also drafted WR Quentin Johnston in the first round to pair opposite Williams. Herbert signed a 265.5 million dollar extension in the offseason keeping him with the franchise through the 2029 season.
Chargers best-case scenario for 2023
The best case for the Chargers this season is that the Chiefs regress a bit, and they are also to finally win the AFC West. By doing so, they will likely win 12 games and have a top-3 seed headed into the playoffs. Also, Herbert takes another major step and is in the MVP conversation. In 2022, Herbert threw for 4739 yards and 25 touchdowns. With Johnston in the fold, he can push for 5,000 yards and 30 touchdowns.
In this scenario, head coach Brandon Staley also gets off of the hot seat for some of the in-game decisions that have cost his team over the past few seasons. Defensively, they have some improvement against the run and don’t rank toward the bottom. If they improve against the run, they should finally win a playoff game and have a chance to make a deep run.
Chargers worst-case scenario for 2023
The worst case for them in they regress and miss the playoff completely. The Chiefs are atop the division, and the Denver Broncos come in second instead of the Chargers. If this happens, Staley will certainly lose his job. His late-game decisions continue to plague the team causing them to lose some close games. Herbert also stays the same, which isn’t bad, but doesn’t help his team take that next step. Another year without a playoff win continues to put more pressure on Herbert, and the question will start to fly on whether or not he deserved the big contract extension.