Chargers Daily Links: Bolts ranked fifth among five AFC playoff hopefuls

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Good morning, Chargers fans!

In a recent article over at CBS Sports, NFL analyst Jordan Dajanai ranked the five AFC playoff hopefuls which currently includes the Bills, Bengals, Jets, Patriots, and Chargers. Coincidentally, that is the exact order in which Dajani ranks the teams who are all vying for a wild card spot.

At 8-3, it’s easy to see the Bills locking up the fifth seed. The Bengals are getting healthier at 7-4 with Ja’Marr Chase returning so they seem like a lock to earn the next spot. At 6-5, the Patriots and Chargers are the ones who can’t afford to make any mistakes through their final six games. The 7-4 Jets ahead of them have a little more room for error, but they also need to stay strong through their quarterback issues to not let it derail their otherwise promising season.

Here’s what Dajani had to say specifically about the Chargers:

“Justin Herbert’s captains an interesting team. I think they are live to beat anyone, but I don’t view them as a legitimate contender. Their winning formula isn’t tough to figure out. The Chargers are 6-2 when they don’t lose the turnover battle, and 0-3 when they lose the turnover battle. Injuries have hurt this Chargers team, which limits their ceiling, but they have a pretty easy schedule down the stretch. If they can take care of business against teams like the Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Rams and Indianapolis Colts, the Chargers are going to be in that playoff mix until the very end. L.A. is -150 to make the playoffs over at Caesars.”

And now for today’s links.

Chargers News:

Where did the Chargers end up in this week’s power rankings? (Chargers.com)

Players and coaches praised the support of fans who traveled to Arizona on Sunday (Chargers.com)

Playoff picture entering week 13 (Chargers Wire)

The Chargers could catch a huge break with a recent injury on the Raiders (Bolt Beat)

NFL News:

Jerry Jones was unfazed by the recent OBJ airplane incident (ESPN)

CJ Gardner-Johnson injured his kidney against the Packers (ESPN)

John Breech picks games from the week 13 slate (CBS Sports)

Aaron Rodgers plans to play on Sunday after injury vs. Eagles (Pro Football Talk)

Week 13 NFL power rankings (The Ringer)

Updated NFL MVP standings (Bleacher Report)