The Chargers are back in action Sunday at home against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Kickoff is at 1:25 p.m. (PT) from SoFi Stadium.

The Chargers-Raiders betting line shows the Bolts are home favorites for Sunday.

Here are five final thoughts ahead of Week 13.

1. Welcome back to AFC West play

Remember when the Chargers opened the season with three straight wins against division foes?

Believe it or not, the Bolts haven't played an AFC West game since then but jump back into division play in Week 13 against the Raiders.

Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh didn't need to remind his team how important these games are, especially at this point in the season.

"Raiders, it is a rivalry and we know they're going to bring it," Harbaugh said.

He later added: "It brings out the competitor in you. In all ways."

Da'Shawn Hand noted: "This is a tough division and the AFC is wild right now."

Yes it is.

The Bolts enter Week 13 with a 7-4 record and currently hold the No. 5 spot as a Wild Card team in the AFC playoff picture.

With six games left, the Chargers know the time is now to begin a sprint to secure a postseason berth.

"Six games left. Six games to earn seven games," Derwin James, Jr. said.

Chargers Defensive Coordinator Jesse Minter added: "We've got six one-game seasons coming up. None more important than this one coming up this week."

According to The Athletic, the Chargers current hold a 64 percent chance to make the playoff. A win Sunday bumps those odds to 69 percent while a loss drops them to 42 percent.

Simply put, the Bolts know how crucial it is to remain perfect in AFC West play.

"It's a game that we got to win," Khalil Mack said.

2. Time to bounce back

The last time we saw the Chargers on the field, the Bolts put together their worst performance of the season in a 29-point road loss to the Jaguars.

But nobody shied away from what happened, instead using the tough loss as fuel to try and get back on track.

"That event … you learn from it. But you have to leave that event behind and get ready for this one," Harbaugh said.

He later added: "Those days after a setback in anything, those are long hours, painful hours and days. I think that's what the good ones do. You're curious to learn and you want to learn and grow. I thought we did a good job of that."

James added: "Look in the mirror and realize what you can do and what you can get better at."

The Chargers had their bye in Week 12 as Harbaugh gave players, coaches and staff six days off to help reset both mentally and physically.

"It was good for everyone to have that week off and get their bodies back," Justin Herbert said. "It's a long season and I thought the bye week came at a good time."

But with the Chargers nearing two weeks since their last game — and with the way things went in Jacksonville — you can bet the Bolts will be chomping at the bit to get back in the win column.

"I think everybody is itching to get back out there, especially after a long bye week," Cam Hart said. "Everybody is juiced to be back out there after a long bye week and coming off of a loss like that.

"The only remedy is to play again, so I think everybody is looking forward to that," Hart added.

3. A new-look O-line?

The Chargers have rolled out a whopping seven different starting offensive line combinations this season.

Could an eighth configuration be in the cards for Sunday against the Raiders?

That would be the case if Jamaree Salyer starts at left tackle, which is something Harbaugh said he expects to happen on Sunday.

If (or when) Salyer slides in at left tackle, he'd join a group up front that consists of Zion Johnson, Bradley Bozeman, Mekhi Becton on the interior and likely Trey Pipkins III at right tackle.

"Ready to attack that and put the pieces together. The hope is to solidify it from now to the rest of the season and also put in the contingencies, starting, backups in those kind of roles," Harbaugh said.

Salyer hasn't started a game at left tackle this season but did play 38 snaps there in relief of Joe Alt in Week 9 against the Titans. However, he did start 14 games there back in 2022 when he posted a 69.2 overall Pro Football Focus grade along with a 75.9 pass-blocking grade, both of which are the best season marks of his career.

Salyer said this week that he actually prefers not to draw on that experience he had a rookie because it was such a whirlwind.

"There's so many things you learn and acquire and understand," Salyer said. "I was just a rookie so I didn't even really get a chance to prepare to play left tackle that year.

"I just kind of got thrust into it that role, so it's difficult to draw on that year because I was so young and learning a lot," Salyer added. "And this is a whole different system."

Salyer has turned into a Swiss Army knife up front as he's logged 157 snaps at right guard this season along with 42 at right tackle.

"Every Sunday I could be at left guard, right guard, right tackle, left tackle," Salyer said with a laugh. "It's just about being able to get the reps and I try to do it at all positions.

"I take [left tackle] as another challenge and I'm excited to do it," Salyer added. "I am very comfortable there because I've gotten reps there in both my NFL and college career."

Herbert, by the way, said he'd be more than fine if Salyer gets the start at left tackle.

"We're thankful to have a guy like that who's able to play guard, able to play tackle. I'm not quite sure what the exact plan is, but if he's out there then we feel comfortable," Herbert said. "He's a gamer and he's going to go out there and make plays and do a good job battling."

4. Raiders make change at OC

Minter said he spent most of the bye week self scouting his defense, but did turn his attention to the Las Vegas offense later in the week.

The Raiders then announced Sunday night that they had let go of offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. Las Vegas eventually promoted quarterbacks coach Greg Olson to that role.

So, how does that change Minter's approach?

"I think for us, the timing of it, coming off a bye where we really looked at ourselves, we're coming off a game that we're not real proud of," Minter said. "It's more about us and us having our own stuff figured out.

"We need to know where their really good players are that they're going to try and feature and we need to try to eliminate the run game and force them to be a one-dimensional offense," Minter added.

Harbaugh offered a similar sentiment, noting that the Bolts defense needs to play to their own standard while also being mindful of Geno Smith and Co.

"You get ready for Geno. Get ready for Ashton Jeanty, Brock Bowers, their playmakers," Harbaugh said. "The scheme? It's more probably like a training camp approach to it, a [season] opener approach to it, to where we've got to play our defense and have the adjustments. It's more of an opener-type of mentality."

Multiple Chargers players said this week that they'll be ready and adaptable for whatever Olson throws at them.

"Just go to your spot, listen to the call, do your job, don't try to overanalyze what they can be doing," James said.

Hart added: "Just having your eyes in the right spot, a lot of fundamental ball and technique and go from there."

5. All eyes on run defense

But...

If there is one area the Bolts want to get shored up ASAP in Week 13, it's a run defense that allowed a season-high 192 yards to the Jaguars.

Both Harbaugh and Minter spotlighted that area this week as an area that needs to step up.

"It's an emphasis. We need to improve. That's a big one, the biggest one on defense," Harbaugh said.

Minter added: "I think the overall theme is inconsistency for a lot of areas, but particularly the run defense. It's inconsistent whether it's one guy here or one guy there, bad call here, bad pressure or whatever there. There's a lot of things that we've looked at, probably keep a lot of that in house. Looking forward to trying to improve in that area as we go and it's an area we're definitely trying to attack."

Overall, the Bolts rank 16th in rushing yards allowed per game (113.8) and are 26th in rushing yards allowed per play (4.74).

On a more advanced level, the Bolts rank 20th in PFF run defense grade (63.3) and are 25th in rushing EPA allowed per play (-0.027).

"We got to fine-tune the details and be sharp with our hands and our feet and just playing physical at the line of scrimmage," Mack said.

Jeanty has had an up-and-down start to his NFL career as he's rushed for 604 yards and four touchdowns on 166 carries, good for just 3.6 yards per attempt.

Las Vegas enters Week 13 ranked 31st in rushing yards per game (79.5) and 32nd in rushing EPA per play (-0.216).