The Chargers 2024 schedule was released Wednesday night.
Here are five takeaways from Bolts 2024 road games:
1. Staying out East?
With the Chargers slated for five games in the Eastern time zone in 2024, two of them come back-to-back early in the season.
After opening at home against the Raiders, the Bolts will then hit the road for contests in Carolina (Week 2) and Pittsburgh (Week 3).
Perhaps the Bolts stay somewhere out East to avoid a long flights to and from Southern California? Other teams have certainly done that in the past.
Week 2 will be a rare trip to Charlotte as the Bolts last played there in 2016. Carolina was the league's worst team in 2023, so this could be a chance for the Chargers to gain some early-season momentum.
The battle in Pittsburgh will be among the most physical of the year as the Steelers embody many of toughness traits that Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh prefers.
Back-to-back games on the East Coast won't be easy, but at least the Bolts tackle that early in the season when their bodies will be fresh.
2. Another back-to-back
The Bolts once again have an early Week 5 bye before hitting the road for two straight road games in Weeks 6 and 7.
The first is an AFC West tilt in Denver, a place that has been tough for the Bolts to find success at in recent years. Look for Harbaugh to try and buck that trend.
Then comes the Chargers first primetime game of the season, a Monday Night Football affair in Arizona. This will be the Bolts first chance to put their new brand of football on display for a national audience.
The Chargers did not make the playoffs in 2023, but neither did Denver or Arizona, so stacking wins here could help position the Bolts favorably in the second quarter of the season.
3. Midpoint in Cleveland
Looking for a game that could have more significance than you think?
A Week 9 battle in Cleveland could be it.
The Browns were a playoff team a year ago and could be in that mix once again.
Playing in Cleveland is always a little odd, but at least the Bolts likely won't have to deal with midges flying around like they did in 2022.
This game comes at the midpoint of the season and could home some tiebreaker weight by the time we get to Week 18.
Take a detailed look at who the Bolts will face in the 2024 season!!
4. High-powered offenses
It will be interesting to see what the Bolts defense looks like in December under new Chargers Defensive Coordinator Jesse Minter.
While some a learning curve could be expected early on, there's a chance this group has found its stride by Thanksgiving.
That will be just in time for back-to-back tests against two offenses (Atlanta and Kansas City) that are expected to be among the league's best.
The Falcons will be led by Kirk Cousins and have a bevy of skill players including Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts.
We won't waste much space talking about Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense as their pedigree is well known.
Teams want to be playing their best ball in December, and these pair of road games will offer a good barometer for the Bolts, especially on defense.
5. Find a way late
If the Chargers are in the playoff hunt in late December, they're going to have to grind their way into the postseason as they close the year with back-to-back road games.
The first is a Week 17 trek to New England, which is the Bolts longest road trip of the season. The weather will surely be cold just before New Year's, so a potent rushing attack could serve the Bolts well against a stingy Patriots defense.
The Chargers then close out the season in Las Vegas. The Bolts surely will remember what happened their last season and will be looking for a much better outcome this time around.
And if a playoff spot is on the line in Week 18, this one could be filled with the usual drama when these teams meet.
