NFL Power Rankings, Week 17: Eagles bury Cowboys, Ravens clinch No. 1 seed
By Dan Parzych
25. Los Angeles Chargers (23)
At this point, it’s difficult not to feel bad for the Los Angeles Chargers since Sunday was technically a home game, yet the stadium seemed to be filled with more Oakland Raiders.
After suffering an embarrassing loss the week before to the Minnesota Vikings, a meeting with the Raiders seemed like the perfect opportunity for the Chargers to bounce back with a key win to help end 2019 on a high note.
Instead, the struggles continued for Los Angeles after coming up short for the fifth time in six games by losing to Oakland 24-17.
From a lack of running support (Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler combined for just 26 rushing yards on 13 carries) to the Raiders jumping out to a hot start, there are plenty of factors that came into play in this loss for the Chargers.
Once the offseason arrives, Los Angeles will face another difficult question in need of answering like numerous other teams when it comes to figuring out whether Philip Rivers is worth keeping around for another season.
Even though the current situation for the Chargers isn’t entirely his fault, it’s no secret that Rivers has taken a major step back in 2019, especially when it comes to arm strength.
Los Angeles has seen plenty of great moments over the years with Rivers running the offense, but even the best of quarterbacks need to call it quits at some point, even if they don’t believe it’s their time.