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Playoff Power Rankings: Where Are Bolts Ahead of Wild Card Round?

Power Rankings WC Weekend

The Chargers wrapped up their regular season and prepare to travel to Jacksonville for their first playoff game since 2018.

Following Week 18 around the league, NFL analysts and publications have released their power rankings. Take a look at where the Bolts are ranked as they enter Super Wild Card Weekend against the Jaguars.

No. 7: Dan Hanzus - NFL.com (Last week: No. 7)

No. 7: NFL Staff - Bleacher Report (Last week: No. 7)

The Los Angeles Chargers came into the 2022 season with lofty expectations. With a loaded offense and a defense that added some big-name pieces in the offseason, some saw the Bolts as a legitimate threat to the Chiefs in the AFC West.

But L.A's annually terrible injury luck continued, and the Chargers' play was inconsistent. Ten games into the season, the Chargers were 5-5 and in danger of missing the postseason for the fourth consecutive season.

However ... it has been a different story since then...

Among the AFC's wild-card teams, the Chargers appear to be the best-equipped to make a run in the postseason tournament. And so long as the defense can continue to keep pace with Herbert, Austin Ekeler and Los Angeles' ninth-ranked offense entering Week 18, the Chargers are going to be the team no one wants to face in a must-win game.

No. 10: Bo Wulf - The Athletic (Last week: No. 10)

Check out the best shots as the Chargers wrapped up their regular season slate in Denver against the Broncos

No. 7: Austin Gayle - The Ringer (Last week: No. 9)

No. 6: Vinnie Iyer - Sporting News (Last week: No. 7)

The Chargers are peaking at the right time offensively and defensively. They got ripped by the Jaguars in Week 3 with a banged-up Justin Herbert, but their defense is now capable of playing lights out. Herbert and Austin Ekeler have plenty around them to score the necessary complementary points. Los Angeles can make the top three in the AFC sweat if it can cool off Jacksonville on the road.

No. 8: Pete Prisco - CBS Sports (Last week: No. 8)

Browse through live action photos of the Bolts Week 18 matchup against the Denver Broncos

No. 10: Frank Schwab - Yahoo Sports (Last week: No. 8)

No. 10: Mike Florio - Pro Football Talk (Last week: No. 9)

No. 7: Conor Orr - Sports Illustrated (Last week: 8)

The Chargers were about as close as you can get to making the playoffs in 2021 before coming up short in the final game of the season. This year, they broke through for the franchise's first playoff berth since '18. Justin Herbert will now join the other elite QBs in a stacked AFC bracket.

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