You can rarely look at a game in Week 8, especially out of conference, and feel that immense “must-win” pressure. This was one of those rare occurrences, and the Los Angeles Chargers treated it as such.

Answering the Bell

The Chargers were presented with an opportunity Thursday night in a game I called a potential “Get Right Game” in last week’s article. They took the opportunity and used it to do just that, as they beat the Minnesota Vikings by a score of 37-10 on primetime. Despite only being in Week 8 vs an NFC Team, this game felt like a potential turning point for a roster and a coaching staff looking for answers.

That suspect run game we had questions about? North of 200 on the ground. The struggling run defense that got exposed in the last month? Held the Vikings to 3.1 YPC. The offensive line that looked lost? Add in one Joe Alt and all of a sudden the unit looks pretty damn good. The Chargers, while only temporary, answered many questions against a well-coached team with a good chunk of talent. In doing so, they drastically aided their potential playoff chances and did enough to keep pace with the big dogs in the AFC.

Joe Alt

Joe Alt. What a guy! Alt completely transforms this roster, as evidenced by what Chargers beat reporter Daniel Popper calls the “Joe Alt Effect.” The Chargers are also 4-0 in games Joe Alt starts and finishes, and the Chargers' offense balloons from 20.3 PPG to 26.8 PPG with the stud left tackle in the lineup. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Alt is the second-most important player on the team (behind only Justin Herbert) regarding the Bolts' chances to make any serious noise in an AFC that still feels wide open.

Alt’s ability to completely shut down an entire side in pass protection, as well as bolster a struggling run game alongside Zion Johnson, who's quietly putting together a good 2025 campaign considering the circumstances around him, almost makes you forget how many times the Chargers' O-line let Justin Herbert get hit while Alt was out. Almost.

Déjà Vu

“Do you get Déjà Vu?” Well, yes, watching Justin Herbert on Thursday night, I very much did get Déjà Vu. Remember when I went on that whole monologue about why this game was a Get Right game in the first place? Justin Herbert owns Brian Flores. After his historic performance against the highly touted defensive signal caller in 2023, Justin Herbert decided to do it again. Shredding the blitz, utilizing his legs for big gains, and all around being a problem that Flores had no answer for. Once again on the big stage with the primetime lights shining down, Justin Herbert proves why he is a superstar.

Looking Ahead

Now, a cardinal sin of sports is looking ahead. I made that mistake after Week 3, when I claimed the Chargers were then the favorites to win the AFC West. With all of that said, it’s impossible not to look at what is in front of the Chargers: it's the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Denver Broncos in these upcoming weeks.

The Chargers have four straight games where they are in all likelihood to be favored (Tennessee Titans, Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Las Vegas Raiders), while the Chiefs and Broncos will play each other during this stretch, and Kansas City also draws a couple of tough matchups vs the Buffalo Bills and the Indianapolis Colts. Denver has a softer schedule than the Chiefs, but a Demceo Ryans-led Texans defense is liable to give Bo Nix plenty of problems, and if the Washington Commanders get healthy in time for their matchup, that is by no means a gimme for Denver. The main takeaway is that four weeks from now, we could have a lot more clarity of where the AFC West is headed, and where the Chargers stand as far as contender or pretender.