The San Diego Chargers were major longshots to make the playoffs, but they have unbelievably been afforded the opportunity to win the second wild card in the AFC on Sunday. All they had to do was beat the Kansas City Chiefs, a team that benched four Pro Bowl starters because they are locked into the five seed, and the Chargers would be in the playoffs.
Chargers, in need of win to make playoffs, losing to Chiefs backups in 2nd half
All first-year head coach Mike McCoy has to do to make the playoffs is beat a team of backups. That’s not going so well.
Instead, San Diego is losing 21-14 early in the third quarter, at home.
The Chiefs started Chase Daniel at quarterback and Knile Davis at running back, while also putting receiver Dwayne Bowe, left tackle Branden Albert, defensive tackle Dontari Poe, and linebackers Tamba Hali and Derrick Johnson on the inactive list, along with Alex Smith and Jamaal Charles. It should have been easy-pickings for Chargers head coach Mike McCoy, but all of a sudden San Diego doesn't look so hot.
The Chargers had to win four of their last five games going into Week 17 just to get to this point, including wins over the Chiefs and Denver Broncos, but with everything on the line on Sunday, it appears they are falling flat. The Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Ravens lost earlier, otherwise one of them would have been going to the postseason. Instead, neither will. San Diego has first crack at it, but if they swing and miss against Kansas City, then the only shot that was longer than the Chargers will be going to the playoffs.
That would be the Pittsburgh Steelers, who beat the Cleveland Browns earlier by a score of 20-7. And the Browns were trying.
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