Welcome back to the Chargers Mailbag!
We'll be running one of these every week during the regular season, so send in submissions for the Mailbag here on Twitter or by sending me an email.
Off we go...
10-3!
Next question...
I'm kidding.
Much has been made of this upcoming four-game stretch that begins Sunday at home in primetime against the Bengals.
What follows is another home primetime game against Baltimore and then back-to-back road games in Atlanta and Kansas City, the latter of which is in primetime.
The Chargers have talked this season about splitting the season into quarters as they went 2-2 in Quarter 1 and 3-1 in Quarter 2. They are 1-0 in Quarter 3 after Sunday's win over the Titans.
Let's say the Bolts split the upcoming four-game slate. That could mean another 3-1 quarter (if they beat two of the Bengals, Ravens and Falcons).
No matter how you slice it, a 2-2 split would mean an 8-5 record and the Bolts still likely in an AFC playoff spot.
But it's worth pointing out that each upcoming opponent carries a significant storyline.
A Bolts win over the Bengals would mean a massive advantage in the race for a playoff spot. The Chargers would hold the head-to-head tiebreaker and also drop Cincinnati to its seventh loss.
Do we need to break down the Monday nighter against Baltimore? It's the Harbaugh Bros., Justin Herbert and Lamar Jackson and a nation full of eyeballs.
Week 12 against Atlanta will be the Bolts first road game in a month and will be a test for the stingy Chargers defense. Color me intrigued for this one.
And then there's a road game at Arrowhead against a Chiefs team that might be undefeated in December.
Given that slate, a 2-2 split would be respectful but you can bet Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh and his squad will be yearning for more than that.
One thing is for sure: the Chargers will certainly get a chance to prove themselves to the people who have clung to the "soft schedule" narrative of late.
I've noticed more pundits and talking heads have been singing the Bolts praises of late. If the Bolts can stand tall and continue their success over the next month, expect that buzz to get even louder.
Buckle up, Bolt Fam. And enjoy the ride!
What's they key to winning against the Bengals? (Derek via email)
The easy answer here is finding a way to stop Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase.
That's also easier said than done, and we're going to dive into those two players later this week.
But on a broader level, to me it comes down to the Bolts continuing to follow the formula they've concocted in recent weeks.
I made a comment to someone after Sunday's game that the past three Chargers wins all kind of felt the same.
Maybe it's because the scores against the Saints (26-8), Browns (27-10) and Titans (27-17) all look somewhat similar.
But it was also the way the Bolts won, too.
The formula included stout defense, timely plays from Herbert and the ability to grind down opponents in the second half.
The Bolts won each of those games convincingly by double digits, and the outcome of the Cleveland and Tennessee games would have been more lopsided if not for some last-minute touchdowns allowed.
My hunch here is that the Bengals game will be a bit closer, but the formula should still feel the same.
The Bolts will need to limit those explosive plays against Burrow and Co. while Herbert continues the hot streak he's on as the NFL's most efficient player over the past month.
Cincinnati knows where they stand in the playoff race and will be a desperate team Sunday night.
But I expect Harbaugh to have his squad ready to play their own brand of football under the primetime lights.
How can you not be confident in Tarheeb Still and Cam Hart?
The pair of fifth-round picks have exceeded everyone's expectations (except maybe their own) so far in their respective rookie seasons.
A fun programming note: I have an interview with Chargers secondary coach Steve Clinkscale coming out on Friday.
Here's a snippet of what he said when I asked him about Still and Hart:
"Did we know they were going to play this much? No, but that's what you're preparing for. I told them when they got here that you never know when your number is going to be called. You never know when you're going to be a full-time starter. But watching his and Cam's film and seeing the talent that they have, I'm really pleased with them."
That pretty much sums it up. Rookies, especially fifth-rounders, normally don't shine and excel the way Still and Hart have.
Kudos to them, their teammates and the coaching staff for their play this season — and to Chargers General Manager Joe Hortiz and his staff for locking in on them in the draft.
In terms of Sunday's game, it's going to take a total defensive effort to slow down Burrow and Chase.
The onus won't fall on Still or Hart or Ja'Sir Taylor or Kristian Fulton (if he's back on the field).
It will also fall on the safety trio of Derwin James, Jr., Alohi Gilman and Elijah Molden.
And it will fall on the front seven get pressure on Burrow to get him off his spot when he drops back to pass.
I'm excited to see what Chargers Defensive Coordinator Jesse Minter can cook up for this one.
That remains to be seen.
Harbaugh had plenty of praise for the offensive line Monday.
"I thought it was arguably our best game offensively. And the offensive line was integral," Harbaugh said.
The unit had just one change as Jamaree Salyer started in place of right guard Trey Pipkins III, who was dealing with an ankle issue.
Salyer started and played the first two series before Foster Sarell came in for two series of his own. The Bolts then went with Salyer the rest of the way.
We'll have to see how Pipkins' health is doing this week before we get into any shuffling of the lineup.
Harbaugh's favorite phrase might be, "Competitors, welcome," so a battle for playing time wouldn't surprise me. On the other side of the coin, the Chargers seemed pretty happy with Pipkins play through the first half of the season as he transitioned to a new position.
I don't think we need to focus on the other guard spot though. Harbaugh spotlighted Zion Johnson for his play Sunday as the left guard posted his second-best Pro Football Focus grade (72.8) of the season.
