Chargers battle adversity to clinch playoff berth

Resilience and adversity are two things the Chargers are very familiar with.

At the beginning of the season, there were high expectations that the Bolts would be lethal playoff contenders. However, those expectations were quickly dismissed when several starters fell to injury early in the season.

Los Angeles began the season 1-2. Then, they were 4-3 during the bye week. And then, after being 5-3, the middle portion of the season wasn’t so pretty, as the team entered the month of December with a 6-6 record.

Nevertheless, the Bolts rallied to win three consecutive games with a defense that finally found its groove, despite missing star safety Derwin James for those contests and an offense orchestrated by quarterback Justin Herbert.

On Monday night, the Chargers clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2018 following their 20-3 win over the Colts.

“It’s just the beginning. This is just the beginning. This is not our final goal,” head coach Brandon Staley said. “We expected to be at this point. I’m really proud of how this season has gone for our football team and what we’ve been able to demonstrate in order to make it into the postseason.

“That’s probably what I’m most proud of,” Staley added. “Not just being in it, but how we made it. What it took for us to get in. But this is just the beginning for us.”

Los Angeles still has two games remaining against the Broncos and Rams, which will dictate its playoff seeding.

“Everything we worked for, everything we were here for … we are in the fight,” wide receiver Keenan Allen said.

It hasn’t been a seamless season for the Bolts, but resilience and adversity are two qualities that shape a championship team. There is no question that a winning team is talented, but are they tough enough to make it to the very end?

“I think for far too long, people have talked about the talent of this football team and the organization. That’s ultimately not what gets you where you want to go,” Staley said.

“You have to prove your toughness, and that’s what we’ve proven so far this year, that we have a tough enough football team — mentally and physically — to be where we are right now, which is in the tournament.”

The Chargers couldn’t have hit their stride at a better time, and they should only benefit from getting back key players in edge defender Joey Bosa and offensive tackle Rashawn Slater from their perspective injuries.

As Allen said, the Bolts are in the fight, and they will look to make a run when postseason play begins.