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...
There's no doubt that Jim Harbaugh's squad showed their mettle and toughness on Sunday night.
The Bolts trailed 13-0 at the half on the road against the two-time defending Super Bowl champs in one of the most difficult places to play ... and ended up losing on a last-second field goal that fortuitously bounced off the upright and in.
I wrote last week that the Chargers could make a statement with a win over the Chiefs. Even in a loss, I still believe they made one — albeit on a smaller scale — based on how they played in primetime.
Richard's sentiment above is the correct one.
Were fans disappointed? Of course.
So were players, coaches, the front office and everyone associated with the Chargers.
However, the Bolts still find themselves in a great spot with five games left. At 8-5, the Chargers currently sit in the No. 6 seed in the AFC Playoff Picture.
And if we peak ahead, there's a chance the Chargers could end up clinching a playoff spot next week.
Here's how...
The Bolts, of course, have to take care of their own business, which means a win at home Sunday against Tampa Bay.
Additionally, let's say Miami loses at Houston and Indianapolis loses at Denver.
If that happens, the Chargers would be 9-5 while the Dolphins and Colts would both be 6-8. The Bengals, if they win Sunday at the Titans, would also be 6-8.
Because Miami, Indianapolis and Cincinnati would all be at eight losses, the best record each could finish with is 9-8.
So, a win by the 9-5 Chargers against the Broncos would mean 10 wins and a playoff spot.
The fun part of all of this? The Broncos would also be 9-5 in this scenario, meaning Denver would also be playing for a spot in the dance on Thursday Night Football.
Buckle up, Bolt Fam! If things break a certain way Sunday, next week's game at SoFi Stadium will be massive.
I think Benny is referring to the Chargers first drive of the game here.
For reference, Harbaugh chose to punt on fourth-and-9 from the Chiefs 39-yard line rather than try a 57-yard field goal.
To start, no, he has not lost any faith in Cameron Dicker, who remains one of the NFL's best kickers and is still only 24 years old.
Harbaugh actually addressed this topic in his Monday press conference and said the misty and windy conditions played a factor in his decision. So, too, did the potency of the Chiefs offense.
"Could be [the weather]. That's a risk with of field position with the ball sitting there at the minus-47 for them," Harbaugh said. "Yeah, probably should have tried the other way, but you always want to try the other way when you don't win a game. Like, 'OK, that's a spot where I could have attempted a field goal or gone for it on fourth-and-9.'"
In terms of what actually happened, the Chargers punted and eventually forced a Chiefs punt. Kansas City started at its own 7 and reached its own 39, the exact same spot where the Bolts had punted from.
Harbaugh did offer some insight, too, as to what it would have taken to keep the offense on the field.
"We were going to go for it if it was fourth-and-4," Harbaugh said. "That's what the analytics said."
Something to monitor going forward.
I'm a fan of Stone!
First off, he's a great dude and awesome to talk to. I'm actually planning on writing something for him this week so be on the lookout for that.
And I think he has the potential to step up on offense in the weeks ahead.
A quick story: Chargers media members were watching practice on Wednesday last week and happened to be standing near the tight end group.
I turned to someone and said Smartt could be a player to watch in the weeks ahead. With Hayden Hurst on Injured Reserve and Will Dissly, Tucker Fisk and others being more blocking-specific, my thought was that Smartt could help in the pass game.
Sure enough, he came up big with 54 yards on three catches, all of which moved the chains.
Looking ahead, I'm excited to see how Smartt does in a possibly expanded role on offense.
Sunday's game is a big one.
The Bucs enter riding a three-game win streak and lead the NFC South with a 7-6 record.
I haven't dove too much into Tampa Bay yet and will have deeper thoughts on them later in the week, but here two quick areas to watch on Sunday.
Offensively, the Chargers will need to account for Tampa Bay's pair of excellent defensive tackles in Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey, both of whom are tied for the team lead with 6.0 sacks.
And when the Bolts are on defense, they will need to be ready for Baker Mayfield to chuck it around the yard. The former No. 1 overall pick has a gunslinger's mentality and can put up numbers and yards in a hurry.
Check back on Friday for my weekly 5 Final Thoughts but that's a quick report on Tampa Bay.
Maybe!
Chargers General Manager Joe Hortiz has repeatedly said he will always look to churn over the roster and find players who can help the team win.
Hortiz has likened his job to being ready 365 days a year, so roster building in his eyes happens in April, July, December and everywhere in between.
Osborn is a solid NFL receiver who recently parted ways with the Patriots. We'll see if the Bolts add him for the final month.
