People who are a part of the Chargers organization, Chargers supporters worldwide, and NFL observers all agree that the Chargers have the best collection of uniforms in the league, ranging from the throwback uniforms to the alternates.
What was not amazing, do you know? The way L.A.’s 2022 season came to an end. It was good to recover from the Raiders overtime loss in Week 18 of the 2021 season and exact complete retribution by making the playoffs. And we will get started on that right now. Let’s take a look back before moving on to the Chargers’ 2023 season.
2022 Season Re-cap
Making the playoffs was one of last season’s highlights. The Chargers were 6-6 at one point before winning four straight games and advancing to the playoffs. They had a 27-0 advantage late in the second quarter of the game when they faced the Jaguars during Super Wild Card Weekend. It appeared as though they would easily win. In Irvine, California, where I was holding a Chargers viewing party, everyone was sure that the Chargers would triumph in the end.
One negative from the previous year was a historic playoff failure. Oh, right. Regarding the viewing party, I was joking about the lack of confidence. In all honesty, Chargers supporters at the gathering appeared to be fearing the fact that their team had such a sizable lead. Once their team had a 27-0 lead, the final 34:25 of the game were the stuff of nightmares for them. The Chargers made NFL history by being the first team to ever trail by at least 25-0 in the playoffs and lose. They were the first club to suffer a playoff defeat while having a turnover margin of at least +5. Just three points were scored by the Chargers’ offense in the second half. That can’t happen.
Quarterback for the 2023 VIPs is Justin Herbert. How outstanding have Herbert’s first three NFL seasons been? With 102 offensive touchdowns in his first three seasons, he established an NFL record. In the first three years of a player’s career, he threw 94 touchdown passes, which ranks second in NFL history only to Dan Marino. After Patrick Mahomes, his 287.5 career throwing yards per game rank second all-time in league history. The majority of people also overlook the fact that Herbert made his first career start against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs back in 2020, coming into the lineup unannounced. He started off strong and hasn’t let up since. The only thing that is missing are the signature victories, which I don’t want to mention since it would be terrible. It was significant to defeat the Bengals in Cincinnati two years ago. But my thoughts are on the postseason.
MVP predicted for 2023: Free football picks sites all have Justin Herbert as the Chargers’ MVP and there is no doubt about it. Here’s an odd statistic: Since his rookie season, Herbert’s passer rating has fallen each year as his victory totals have risen. He set a high standard with his rookie rating of 98.3, after all. But since 2021, the Chargers have gone 13-3 when he has a passer rating of 100 or higher. His overall record in the NFL (including the playoffs) is 25–25. In the victories, he has a 106.3 quarterback rating, a 70.9 completion %, 52 touchdown passes, and nine interceptions. His completion rate is 62.8, he has 43 passing touchdowns, 26 interceptions, and an 86.1 passer rating in losses. I was going to say Austin Ekeler was the MVP because I adore him. But Justin is there.
Linebacker Eric Kendricks is a new name to be aware of. Kendricks was acquired by the Chargers to take Drue Tranquill’s place at inside linebacker. I wouldn’t be surprised if Kendricks took over as Los Angeles’ play-caller. As the Chargers’ defensive play-caller for the majority of the previous season, Tranquill had a green dot on his helmet.
Breakout player for 2023: guard Zion Johnson. Johnson performed admirably for a rookie. According to PFF, the first-round choice allowed 40 pressures and five sacks, but it is typical for a rookie player making the transition. Among rookie offensive lineman, he had the fifth-best PFF run-blocking grade in the previous campaign. I have faith that he will succeed and establish himself as a vital member of the Chargers’ offensive line after spending the entire offseason preparing with the team.
The Chargers are listed at +2800 (28/1) odds to win Super Bowl 58 at top rated sportsbooks. We think there is some value to be had here. The Chargers are building something special in LA.
