The Chargers are in the midst of their bye week before having a long stretch of games for the remainder of the 2023 season.
With a 2-2 record, Los Angeles will use this time to get players back to full health and address their in-game areas of improvement, like converting on crucial downs and defending explosive plays.
Buy Chargers TicketsLet’s look ahead and see if we can predict how the next four games will play out on the Bolts’ schedule.
Week 6: vs. Cowboys (3-1)
If there’s an opponent the Chargers will benefit from being well-rested for, it’s the Cowboys. Dallas is one of the hottest teams in the league, as they can light up the scoreboard, currently averaging the fourth-most points (31.0), while their defense has been stiff. Kellen Moore, who will face his former team, will look to not only lean on his star quarterback Justin Herbert but also get the ground game going with hopefully Austin Ekeler, who’s been out since Week 1 with an ankle injury, against a middle-of-the-pack Cowboys run defense. Expect a lot of points in this Monday night showdown. Ultimately, I see primetime Herbert guiding the Bolts to victory.
Prediction: Win
Week 7: at Chiefs (3-1)
After facing the Cowboys, it doesn’t get any easier for the Chargers. If anything, it gets a little bit more difficult facing their division rival at their place. The Patrick Mahomes-led offense is as high-powered as usual, third in the league in offensive yards per game with an average of 393.0. Mahomes has had some struggles with taking care of the football, however. He has four interceptions through four games. On the other side of the ball, Kansas City allows the fourth-lowest amount of points (15.0). This will probably come down to the wire, but I see the Chiefs squeaking out the win.
Prediction: Loss
Week 8: vs. Bears (1-3)
The Chargers then return home to face the Bears, who are coming off their first win over the Commanders. After looking like a dud of a team, Chicago found some life with a masterful performance by Justin Fields and D.J. Moore. Fields threw for four touchdowns and Moore accounted for three of them and 230 of their 282 receiving yards. Defensively, they were dominant, only allowing 29 rushing yards and sacking Sam Howell five times. The Bears will have matchups against the Vikings and Raiders before meeting the Bolts for Monday Night Football, so the jury is still out if Fields and company can carry this momentum over to their next games. Nonetheless, I see Los Angeles minimizing Fields and taking advantage of a Chicago defense that’s still allowing an average of over 30 points per game.
Prediction: Win
Week 9: at Jets (1-3)
Before the start of the season, this primetime showdown was tabbed as must-see television as the world was expecting Herbert versus Aaron Rodgers. Unfortunately, Rodgers is out for the rest of the season. Like the Bears, the Jets may have found their stride, considering they just went toe-to-toe with the Chiefs last Sunday and Zach Wilson looked the best he has in his career. Defensively, New York is similar to the Chargers in the way that they struggle against explosive plays. However, they differ because the Jets’ second-half defense is one of the best in the league, while Los Angeles is near the bottom in that category. This very well could be a trap game, but when Herbert is playing under the lights, good things are bound to happen.
Prediction: Win
