Chargers, Jim Harbaugh mum on resting starters vs. Raiders in Week 18

Chris Roling | Dec 31, 2024

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Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh wants to win football games, which is certainly something to keep in mind going into the team’s Week 18 matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders despite all the playoff happenings around the kickoff time. 

Speaking with reporters to start the Week 18 grind, Harbaugh said “the plan is to win” against the Raiders. As he pointed out, there is always a chance the Chargers could earn their way up to the fifth seed in the AFC playoffs. 

But there’s a wrinkle to consider. If the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday night in primetime, the Chargers would be locked into the No. 6 seed in the playoffs and unable to change things no matter what happens against the Raiders on Sunday. 

If that happens? Harbaugh kept it vague, saying they would “do what’s best for the team.”

So, a coachspeak master class. 

If the Chargers can move up and find a way to get the Houston Texans in Round 1 instead of John Harbaugh’s Baltimore Ravens, that would likely be ideal. 

But if the Chargers can’t earn their way higher in seeding, getting into a bitter AFC West battle with a Raiders team that has won two in a row and wants to play the spoiler and risking injury wouldn’t make a ton of sense.

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