Raiders' Bitter Rival Chargers Getting Badly Exposed

The Los Angeles Chargers were hammered by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 15 as they continue to get exposed down the stretch of the NFL season.

Dec 15, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) sets to pass in the first half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Two weeks ago, the Los Angeles Chargers were 8-4 and were viewed by some as dark horse AFC contenders heading into the playoffs.

That feels like ages ago.

On Sunday, the Chargers were absolutely thrashed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 40-17, for their second straight loss.

With the defeat, Los Angeles fell to the final Wild Card spot in the AFC, and while the Chargers will still probably make the postseason, they are backing in right now.

Los Angeles actually held a 17-13 lead over the Buccaneers heading into the second half, but they were outscored 27-0 over the final two quarters.

The Chargers' defense has been stout all season long, so to see it collapse in that sort of fashion is definitely concerning, and their inability to make anything happen offensively—again—was also alarming.

And this time, Los Angeles can't even blame the absence of wide receiver Ladd McConkey, as the rookie returned against Tampa Bay after missing the last two games.

So, what is the issue with the Chargers?

Well, let's assume that the defensive collapse was just a one-off. Los Angeles has been really good defensively this year, so perhaps it was just a bad half.

But man, offensively, this team is starting to become a disaster, and it's not too surprising.

The Chargers are very thin in terms of weapons. It's basically McConkey and not a whole lot else, especially with the injuries that have befallen them.

Running back J.K. Dobbins and tight end Will Dissly are both sidelined, leaving Justin Herbert with no truly consistent pieces behind McConkey (unless you count Joshua Palmer).

The truth is that we should have seen this coming, seeing as how Los Angeles subtracted wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, halfback Austin Ekeler and tight end Gerald Everett during the offseason.

For some reason, many ignored the Chargers' losses, instead choosing to focus on what new head coach Jim Harbaugh would bring to the table.

And sure, Harbaugh has done a very good job with a rather questionable roster, but it's obvious that Los Angeles' cracks are beginning to show.

The Las Vegas Raiders will play the Chargers in the season finale. Can you imagine if the Raiders are actually able to play spoiler that day?

We'll see what unfolds over the final three weeks.

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