Jim Harbaugh helped Michigan hoist the National Championship trophy last college football season. Now, he already has a shot at leading the Chargers to the Lombardi Trophy.
Los Angeles has already locked in a playoff spot entering the final week of the NFL’s regular season. The Chargers will head to Las Vegas in Week 18 to face the Raiders, a favorable matchup for them to potentially finish the year with an 11-6 record.
But Los Angeles isn’t yet locked into a specific seed in the AFC, meaning Harbaugh’s squad will at least have something to play for this week. Although the Chargers don’t have a shot at winning the AFC West, they do have paths to a pair of wild-card spots in the conference.
Where could the Chargers end up in the final NFL playoff bracket? Here’s what to know about their seeding scenarios for Week 18.
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Chargers playoff picture for Week 18
Most of the top half in the AFC bracket is already locked in. The Chiefs will claim the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye, while the Bills have already secured the No. 2 seed. The AFC North was decided on Saturday when the Ravens bet the Browns. The AFC South champion Texans are locked into the No. 4 seed.
The AFC’s seventh seed is the only playoff spot still up for grabs, with the Broncos, Dolphins, and Bengals all in the mix. However, there are only two possible seeds the Chargers will be able to secure: the fifth or sixth seed.
How Chargers would clinch No. 5 seed
Los Angeles’ final seed depended on two games: its own matchup against the Raiders and the Steelers’ matchup against the Bengals.
Pittsburgh and Baltimore both own the head-to-head tiebreaker over Los Angeles, but after the Steelers lost to the Bengals on Saturday, they fell to 10-7. That means if Los Angeles beats Las Vegas, the Chargers will be the AFC’s fifth seed.
How Chargers would clinch No. 6 seed
If the Chargers lose to the Raiders, they will be the AFC’s sixth seed.
Los Angeles can’t fall further than the sixth seed — the only other team with the potential to tie the Chargers in record is the Denver Broncos (currently 9-7), but the Chargers already own the head-to-head tiebreaker in that matchup.
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Chargers potential playoff opponents
The Chargers are still in play for the fifth or sixth seed, so there is still a variety of opponents they could face in the first round. No matter what, Los Angeles will travel for its playoff matchup.
No. 5 seed opponent
Because the Texans are locked into the No. 4 seed, the Chargers would travel to face Houston in the first round if they finish as the AFC’s fifth seed this week.
Los Angeles and Houston did not meet in the regular season.
Because Pittsburgh lost on Saturday night to the Bengals, all L.A. needs to do to clinch the No.5 seed is beat the Raiders.
Potential No. 6 seed opponent
The No. 6 seed in the AFC is set to face the AFC North champion Ravens.
Because the Ravens beat the Browns on Saturday, they locked up the AFC North and No. 3 seed. If the Chargers lose to the Raiders, they will face the Ravens in the first round.
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