Chargers playoff chances: What Austin Ekeler and co. need to sneak in ahead of Week 16

The Los Angeles Chargers made the playoffs last season but are practically eliminated at this stage of the 2023 campaign. The Chargers are 5-9 and set to host the Buffalo Bills on Saturday, and although Los Angeles is technically not eliminated, it doesn't look good for their playoff chances.

The Chargers are without starting quarterback Justin Herbert for the rest of the season, so ahead of Week 16 what are their playoff chances?

What are the chances of the Chargers making the playoffs?

Los Angeles has under a one percent chance of making the playoffs this season. The Chargers will need to win out, which means wins over the Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, and Kansas City Chiefs, which still gives them less than a one percent chance of making the playoffs.

UPDATE: After the loss to the Bills, the Chargers are just about eliminated from playoff contention.

Chargers' playoff chances explored

Our NFL Playoff Predictor also projects nothing but misery for LA over the next few weeks.

Along with winning out with backup quarterback Easton Stick under center, Los Angeles will need multiple teams in front of them to lose out. At this point, it's almost locked in that the franchise won't be making the playoffs this season, and with a loss to the Buffalo Bills on Saturday, LA's season will be over.

With the Chargers season not going their way, Los Angeles has fired head coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco. Following the firing, team president John Spanos took accountability for the disappointing season:

"My opinion is everything starts with ownership. Ultimately, we're responsible for everything. What we've been doing has not been good enough.

"When I looked at these last two hires, we did some good things. We didn't get where we ultimately wanted to go, but I know that we're all going to learn from it, and we're going to do even better the next time. The commitment to winning and the commitment to do whatever it takes to get there is as strong as it's ever been and really will not waiver."

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Week 16 AFC standings and playoff scenarios

The Baltimore Ravens are leading the AFC with a record of 11-3, and are the only team in the conference to clinch a playoff spot.

Miami holds the two seed, the Kansas City Chiefs are third, the Jacksonville Jaguars are fourth, the Cleveland Browns are fifth, the Cincinnati Bengals are sixth, and holding onto the final playoff spot is the Indianapolis Colts in seventh.

As of right now, the Houston Texans and Buffalo Bills at 8-6 are on the outside looking in for a Wild Card spot. The New England Patriots, New York Jets, and Tennessee Titans have all been eliminated from the playoff picture.