CHARGERS (6-3) vs. BENGALS (4-6)
When: 5:20 p.m. Sunday
Where: SoFi Stadium
TV/radio: KNBC (Ch.4); 98.7 FM; 105.5 FM/94.3 FM (Spanish)
Line: Chargers by 1.5
Notable injury designations
Chargers: QUESTIONABLE: DB Deane Leonard (hamstring), OLB Khalil Mack (groin).
Bengals: OUT: LB Joe Bachie (hip), WR Charlie Jones (groin). QUESTIONABLE: OT Orlando Brown Jr. (knee/fibula), DE Trey Hendrickson (personal), DT J.B. Hill (knee).
Who’s better: Maybe the better question is, is there a better team with a 4-6 record than the Bengals? Probably not. Is there a better team with a 6-3 record than the Chargers? No. Mainly that’s so because no one else in the league actually has a 6-3 record. Digressions are fun, aren’t they? The Chargers have the NFL’s stingiest defense, giving up 13.1 points per game. The Bengals are sixth in the league with an average of 27 points scored per game. So, that should be quite a challenge for the Chargers’ defense and also for the Bengals’ offense. So, maybe let’s give the Chargers the slightest of edges in this game.
Matchup to watch: Is this the week the Chargers’ defense finally crumbles? Their unit has been so good for so long, but it hasn’t faced the sort of pressure the Bengals can bring with quarterback Joe Burrow and his squadron of wide receivers, including Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Burrow leads the NFL with 2,672 yards passing and Chase is tops in receiving yards with 981. So, you would figure the Chargers would have their hands full Sunday, especially with Mack questionable for the second consecutive week. He played only four snaps last week.
Chargers win if: Is this the week the Chargers’ offense finally erupts? Their unit has been heating up in recent weeks as quarterback Justin Herbert has rounded into form after a badly sprained right ankle slowed him for several weeks after he was injured in Week 2. Herbert has formed strong connections with wide receivers Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey and tight end Will Dissly. The Chargers also have mixed a credible running game, led by J.K. Dobbins, with Herbert’s passing. It’s not fancy, but it’s been productive. The Chargers welcomed running back Gus Edwards back into the lineup during their victory last Sunday over the Tennessee Titans. Edwards was sidelined by an ankle injury for four weeks.
Fantasy sleeper: Johnston hardly looks like the same unsure rookie who seemed lost at times during the 2023 season. Remember his drop in the closing moments against the Green Bay Packers last season, a play that could have resulted in a go-ahead touchdown? This season, he’s made big plays and become a reliable target for Herbert since the early days of training camp. He leads the Chargers with five touchdowns. McConkey has four. Joshua Palmer has one and rookie running back Kimani Vidal has one. Johnston caught only two touchdown passes last season in 17 games, including 10 starts.
Prediction: Just to be clear, the Bengals represent the Chargers’ biggest challenge since facing the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 4, a 17-10 loss. They have played five consecutive middling teams since their loss to the Chiefs, although their loss to Arizona in Week 7 looks less and less like a clunker since the Cardinals have shouldered their way in the NFC playoff race in recent weeks. Still, four victories in five games is impressive stuff for the Chargers. Now it gets tougher. Now the Chargers face a team that’s desperate for a win. Chargers 28, Bengals 24.