Los Angeles Chargers: Best dark horse pick to win Super Bowl 54?
Should the Los Angeles Chargers be considered the top dark horse candidate to hoist the Lombardi Trophy after Super Bowl LIV?
One season ago, Anthony Lynn‘s Los Angeles Chargers submitted an impressive 12-4 record in the regular season and appeared to be a potential dark horse to make a run in the postseason. After a Wild Card Round win over the Ravens, though, their defense came up short in the Divisional Round as the Patriots ran amok against the Bolts. Thus, it was on to 2019 for the Chargers.
As offseason workouts and minicamps wage on, though, it’s hard not to be optimistic about what Los Angeles could be in the 2019 season. Not only are they coming off of a 12-win season but they will also be playing in the AFC West that was won by a Kansas City Chiefs team that, on paper, could take a step back from last season.
More importantly, though, the Chargers have made a pointed effort throughout the offseason to address their biggest areas of concern and, as such, they could be even better than they were last season.
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The issues that Los Angeles seriously addressed in the 2019 season almost wholly fell on the defensive side of the ball. With a need at linebacker, the Chargers made a savvy free agency signing to add Thomas Davis who, when healthy, can be a stabilizing force in the middle of the field.
It was in the 2019 draft, however, where the Chargers seriously improved their defense. First-round pick Jerry Tillery should be a Day 1 starter at defensive tackle, improving the pressure that the LA defense can create up the middle, something that has been a concern in recent years. On top of that, the Chargers added secondary help with Nasir Adderley and depth at linebacker with fourth-rounder Drue Tranquill.
When you look at the improvements made both at every level of the depth chart for this team, it’s hard not to be wholly optimistic. This is a team that has seemingly been on the precipice of being in Super Bowl contention for some time but has failed to get over the hump. Part of that has been due to unfortunate injuries and circumstances. However, it’s also been due to some inefficiencies present on the roster.
With the way that the Chargers have quietly attacked those areas this offseason, though, they seem far more primed to make a run at it. But given their history of falling short, it feels apt to call them a dark horse. When you talk to many about the AFC contenders, the Chargers are not at the top of many lists — but they should be.
There’s no questioning the top-tier talent in Los Angeles under Lynn’s watch. Philip Rivers remains a perennially underrated quarterback playing with great weapons such as Keenan Allen, Melvin Gordon and Mike Williams while the defense has their own stars in Joey Bosa, Melvin Ingram and Derwin James.
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Now that the Chargers have helped to fill out the ancillary pieces around those stars, the narrative should be changing. The Bolts shouldn’t even be considered a dark horse but rather a favorite to win Super Bowl LIV in Miami. However, if the narrative around their history ultimately results in them being painted as a dark horse, the success will taste just as sweet.