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AFC West Roundup: Week 17 Finale

By Justin Smith

Jan 1, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos running back Devontae Booker (23) runs the ball as Oakland Raiders cornerback David Amerson (29) and strong safety T.J. Carrie (38) defend in the third quarter at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos won 24-6. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos running back Devontae Booker (23) runs the ball as Oakland Raiders cornerback David Amerson (29) and strong safety T.J. Carrie (38) defend in the third quarter at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos won 24-6. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 1, 2017; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates (85) walks off the field after a 37-27 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2017; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates (85) walks off the field after a 37-27 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports /

San Diego Chargers

Couldn’t muster one more win in Qualcomm eh guys? In what was likely the last game for the Chargers in San Diego, they went out with a whimper 37-27 to the Chiefs to help KC win the division.

It’s not like they didn’t show up like the week before in Cleveland. The Chargers came out fired up and even scored first. The Chiefs are just better, and showed it for the rest of the game. Way it goes.

San Diego is a mess. They’ll return almost a full starting roster from IR next season, so drafting and free agency won’t be as effective as just getting healthy.

Danny Woodhead, Melvin Gordon, Branden Oliver, Keenan Allen, Jason Verrett, Brandon Flowers. That’s a top-tier RB, two excellent backup RBs, a top-tier WR, and two top-tier CBs all out. You add that in the draft and free agency to a team with offensive potential and a good QB and people start calling you a contender.

The Chargers will be better in 2017, regardless of where they play, simply by getting healthy. There are even more players who missed the year but those are the most significant currently on IR.

If they return all these players and have a good offseason, they could challenge for the division. But they, too, will have to do it with a new coach.

Mike McCoy is a good coach but a little too conservative. That safe playing cost the Chargers a few games early in the year as they failed to close out close games and shot themselves in the foot.

The Chargers need an aggressive coach to pair with Rivers, though that could be a disaster as well. They have some nice pieces on defense and rookie Joey Bosa will be great for a long time. He’s versatile in stopping the run and rushing the passer, and is at times downright unblockable.

Where do the Chargers end up next year? Back in San Diego, which is very unlikely? In LA, playing in front of 27,000 people at the StubHub centre before become Rams owner Stan Kroenke’s tenants in the shared LA venue?

Neither sound like great options, and it was almost sad to see the lone five or six signs at Qualcomm half-heartedly asking the Chargers to stay. This was no Raider Nation crashing the doors of Oakland city council on behalf of their beloved team. This was an always lukewarm fanbase golf-clapping their team into San Diego obscurity.

The Chargers will be better on the field in 2017, but which field and where? It’ll be hard to lure a top-tier coach to a team in transition both on and off the field and playing in a minor-league atmosphere. Double that difficulty for luring top-tier free agents.

Good luck with that, Chargers. Stay classy, San Diego.

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