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The Los Angeles Chargers played an ugly game against the Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football, but they were the better team through all four quarters and cruised to a 20-3 win.
In a season with some disappointing losses and inconsistent games, the Chargers can now feel relieved. By beating the Colts, they have now officially clinched a playoff spot.
With a 9-6 record, there are still some teams that can tie Los Angeles' record in the fight for a wild card spot, but their excellent conference record and some head-to-head wins give them the advantage in the tiebreaker criteria.
Let's analyze the scenarios that gave them a postseason berth.
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Playoff scenarios for Los Angeles Chargers
They have officially clinched a wild-card berth after beating the Indianapolis Colts. They cannot win the AFC West, as the Kansas City Chiefs sit at the top with a 12-3 record with only two games remaining in the regular season.
A lot of teams can still tie the Chargers' record for a wild card spot, but neither can beat them in the tiebreaker. The Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Jets would lose because of the conference record; the Miami Dolphins and the New England Patriots play this week, and one of these teams would also be out because of the same criteria.
The biggest thing now for the team is to get the #5 seed. They are a game behind the Baltimore Ravens with two more weeks to go. If they finish the season tied for wins, Los Angeles would have the advantage for the same criteria: conference wins.
If the Chargers lose their final two games and the Dolphins win their final two games, Los Angeles would end the season with the #7 seed.
Los Angeles Chargers schedule after Week 16
The final two games of the regular season for Los Angeles will be next to their home. In fact, they'll play the team that shares the SoFi Stadium with them in Week 17, with the already-eliminated Los Angeles Rams acting like the visitor team.
To close out the year, the team will go to Denver to take on the Broncos. Earlier on Monday, they decided to fire head coach Nathaniel Hackett after just 15 games leading the franchise. He posted a 4-11 record during his tenure.
