Ranking Los Angeles Chargers' remaining games by difficulty

The Los Angeles Chargers' bye week is good to look forward to seeing who is next on the schedule, especially considering the team is coming off a week of rest and reflection.

That said, who are the toughest opponents left on the Chargers schedule? Who should they worry about?

Ranking the Chargers remaining games by difficulty

Six weeks left in the season, the Chargers have three games at home and the other three as road games. Beyond the traveling aspect of it all, the Bolts have a gauntlet ahead of them if they want to make a run into the AFC playoff picture.

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1. Los Angeles Chargers vs Philadelphia Eagles

The Chargers are lucky to face the Eagles at home, considering how much of a powerhouse the Eagles are. With a run game that features Saquon Barkley and a passing attack that is heating up with AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith going back to their normal selves, the physical Eagles offense is a poor matchup for a Chargers defense that has struggled against strong running games.

Furthermore, the Eagles' defensive line boasts names like Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Moro Ojomo, and Jaelan Philips, who all can wreck games in their own right, especially considering who the Chargers currently have protecting their superstar quarterback, Justin Herbert.

On paper, the Chargers have a very steep path the conquer the mountain that is the Eagles.

2. Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs

Even with the Chiefs currently fighting to stay positive in their record, they are still a threat to the Chargers. It is extremely hard to beat a team twice in a season, especially one at home that has a record of 5-1 when hosting a matchup. This makes them the second most difficult opponent left on the Chargers schedule.

The Chiefs possess an offensive skill unit that just picked up Dameon Pierce, and are finding a stride once again with names like Travis Kelce and Rashee Rice leading the way. Furthermore, their defense is always comes to play with guys like George Karlaftis and Trent McDuffie ready to create havoc.

3. Los Angeles Chargers at Denver Broncos

The Chargers once again travel to a hostile stadium, with the Denver Broncos currently 9-2 and a 6-0 record at home. Similarly to the Chiefs, the Chargers have already beaten the Broncos early in the season, but beating a team twice is extremely difficult.

With Courtland Sutton and an elite offensive line leading the way for the Broncos, coupled with a menacing defense led by Nik Bonitto and Patrick Surtain II, the Chargers have a very difficult road matchup ahead of them.

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4. Los Angeles Chargers at Dallas Cowboys

At the fourth spot, the Chargers travel to a Cowboys team that made moves to improve their roster, moves that seemingly make them a threat in 2025. While the Cowboys and the teams below them on the list offer much easier matchups, the Chargers lackluster performances in their losses have shown that losses can sprout at any time.

Dallas has added Quinnen Williams, Logan Wilson through the trade deadline and has also seen major returns from Javonte Williams and George Pickens through the off-season pipeline, allowing them to be an elite offense with a defensive unit that is slowly meshing together.

The Chargers defense is extremely inconsistent, which makes this matchup very unpredictable. Furthermore, the Bolts offense has been stalling since the loss of Joe Alt, disallowing them to be a confident selection in a shootout.

5. Los Angeles Chargers vs Houston Texans

Even at the second-to-easiest spot, the Houston Texans are still a very scary team to play against, really showing how much of a gauntlet this stretch of the season is.

Possessing Nico Collins, Will Anderson Jr, Danielle Hunter and plenty of other stars, this Chargers team will have its hands full. The saving grace is that quarterback CJ Stroud has been middling this season, with a poor offensive line ahead of him.

If the Chargers can force the Texans into a poor game script, a hard-earned victory could be achievable.

6. Los Angeles Chargers vs Las Vegas Raiders

The biggest outlier in the gauntlet of a schedule for the Chargers is their earliest matchup, the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders possess star power with guys like Maxx Crosby and Ashton Jeanty, but lack anything to support them.

If the Chargers can perform at the bare minimum expectations, a victory over the 2-9 Raiders is a must to keep their playoff hopes alive.

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