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A Look at Chargers 3 Possible Wild Card Round Opponents

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There have been plenty of moving parts around the NFL in Week 18, including within the AFC playoff picture.

We know that the Chargers will be a Wild Card team and on the road in the first round, but the question remains of which team they will play.

The Bolts currently sit in the No. 6 seed — which means a matchup with the Jaguars right now — but that could change by the time the team finished their game in Denver.

"Health and winning, that's it. There's no way to predict," Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh said on Monday. "We're going on the road, first round, all potential teams would be good and we'll get ourselves ready for that. Play the game, win the game then find out where we're going, that's the objective."

Here's a look at each of the possible Wild Card Round opponents for the Bolts:

New England Patriots (13-3)

How can these teams meet?

This is the Chargers most likely Wild Card matchup, according Playoff Status, with a 59 percent chance of happening heading into the afternoon slate.

Although there could be a situation where this could be the No. 3 vs. No. 6 matchup with a Bolts win plus a New England loss and a Jaguars win, the most likely scenario where these two teams meet in Foxborough would be in the No. 2 vs. No. 7 matchup.

It would require a Chargers loss, a Bills win and a Patriots win for this matchup to happen.

How did the Patriots get here?

It's been quite the turnaround season in New England.

After a 4-13 season and having the No. 4 overall pick in 2024, the Patriots have made a complete flip in their first season under Head Coach Mike Vrabel and a new staff.

They officially captured their first AFC East title since 2019 in Week 17 and went from bottom of the league in both offense and defense to near the top in just one year.

And it's thanks in large part to the high level play they've received from second-year quarterback Drake Maye.

The No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Maye is currently first in MVP odds heading into the final week after what's been a strong season with some gaudy numbers.

Maye is fourth in the NFL in passing yards (4,203) and tied for third in passing touchdowns (30) but also leads all qualified quarterbacks with a completion percentage of 71.7.

He also leads all quarterbacks in passer rating with a 112.9 and leads the NFL in yards gained per pass attempt at 8.9. His season has helped the Patriots have a chance to win the conference's No. 1 overall seed.

Key Patriots stat to know

For as good as Maye has been, he's helped power an offense that has been difficult to stop.

The Patriots offense ranks second in the NFL, and first in the AFC, in yards per play averaging 6.06.

This has helped them to some explosive offensive outputs, averaging 28.3 points per game and surpassing the 30-point mark seven times in 16 games.

Check out the best shots from the Chargers Week 17 matchup against the Texans!

Denver Broncos (13-3)

How can these teams meet?

This is the second-most likely scenario for the Chargers Wild Card Opponent at 27 percent heading heading into kickoff.

The Chargers could make a return trip to Denver if they win in Week 18 combined with wins from the Texans, Jaguars and Patriots.

That would bump the Broncos to the No. 3 seed with the Chargers staying at No. 6.

How did the Broncos get here?

The Broncos used a long winning streak to help them secure their first AFC West title since 2015.

After losing to the Chargers in Week 3, Denver went on 12 of their next 13 games, including a 11-game win streak that featured nine wins by one possession.

Their offense ranks in the top 10 in a number of categories including EPA per play (0.079), passing yards per game (230.2) and third-down percentage (41.47), but it's been the defense that has been a game-changer.

The Broncos defense ranks first in the NFL in yards allowed per play (4.55) and are in the top three in rushing yards allowed per game (89.7) and total yards allowed per game (282.1).

They have allowed the second-fewest offensive points (174) and offensive touchdowns (29) this season.

Key Broncos stat to know

The Broncos have gotten after the quarterback quite a bit in 2025.

Denver's defense has racked up 66 sacks as a team through 16 games this year, the second-most by a team since the 2001 season. That ties them for 12th most in NFL history.

Outside linebacker Nik Bonitto leads the group with 12.5, with Jonathon Cooper behind him at 7.0. They also have five other players with at least 4.0 sacks.

Check out some of the best photos of the Bolt Fam getting together at SoFi Stadium as the Chargers take on the Houston Texans in Week 17!

Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4)

How can these teams meet?

The possibility of this matchup for the Bolts ranked slightly behind Denver at 14 percent and is the current No. 3 vs. No. 6 matchup.

Similarly to the Patriots scenario, there is a chance it could be the No. 2 vs. No. 7 matchup, but only if the Chargers lose in Week 18 combined with wins from the Bills and Jaguars plus a Patriots loss.

The more likely situation if these teams were to match up would be the No. 3 vs. No. 6 game, and would require the Bolts to lose, the Jaguars and Patriots to win as well as the Jets pulling off the upset over the Bills.

If that happens, the Chargers would be going to Jacksonville, a place they already played this season in Week 11.

How did the Jaguars get here?

Jacksonville has used a midseason hot streak to push themselves to their first division title since 2022 in the first year of Head Coach Liam Coen.

The Jaguars started off the season with a record of 5-4 but have rattled off eight straight victories since then, taking control of the AFC South in the process.

And during their win streak, they've been able to flip things around on both sides of the ball.

Heading into Week 18, the Jaguars were second in the NFL in total points scored (228) and tied for most offensive touchdowns (27), while their defense is allowing the lowest EPA per play in the league at -0.223.

Quarterback Trevor Lawrence has also been a big part of their turnaround with 3,752 passing yards while shattering his career-high with nine rushing touchdowns through 17 weeks.

This all has helped them get to 13 wins, their most since the 1999 season.

Key Jaguars stat to know

Lawrence has been airing it out since the team acquired another wide receiver Jakobi Meyers at the trade deadline.

Since Meyers joined the team in Week 10, the Jaguars quarterback leads his position in completed passes of 20 yards or more with 17 of them from then until Week 17. He is also second in the NFL in passing touchdowns with 17 in his last seven games after just nine in the first nine games of the season.

It's been a theme of the season during their winning streak as Lawrence's 10.4 average depth of target in that timeframe is second among all quarterbacks.

Take a look at the Chargers 2026 Pro Bowl selections, highlighting the players who made an impact on the field this season. From standout moments to consistent excellence, players like QB Justin Herbert and S Derwin James, Jr. lead the way, representing the best of the Chargers.

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