Why Chargers are fans of Bengals this week

Imagine Jim Harbaugh pounding the shoulders of Joe Burrow, just as the coach does before every game with Justin Herbert. After all, a Bengals win on Saturday means just as much to the Chargers as it does to Cincinnati.  

That’s according to Cousin Sal Iacono, co-host of the Bill Simmons Podcast. Currently the No. 6 seed in the AFC, Los Angeles (10-6) needs Cincinnati (8-8) to go into Pittsburgh (10-6) on Saturday night (8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC) and upset the Steelers. That combined with a Chargers win at Las Vegas (4-12) on Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS) would give Los Angeles the best odds at ascending to No. 5.

“I really think the Chargers want that five seed,” Iacono said. “I think they’re going to fight for it.
They’re in a good spot if they get that five seed. Of course you want to go to Houston now.”

The No. 5 seed would travel to face No. 4-seeded Houston (9-7) in the first round of the playoffs. Entering their season-finale at Tennessee (3-13) on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS), the Texans have lost two in a row and five of their last seven. On Christmas Day, they were humbled by Baltimore, 31-2.

But should Pittsburgh beat Cincinnati on Saturday night, the Chargers would be guaranteed the No. 6 seed and would need to travel to either Baltimore (11-5) or Pittsburgh (10-6), whichever club wins the AFC North and locks into the No. 3 seed. A first-round visit to Houston against a struggling C.J. Stroud seems much more favorable than a road trip against MVP candidate Lamar Jackson and the Ravens.

And if they survive the Texans in Houston, the Chargers could be the lowest-remaining seed and earn a trip to Kansas City for a Divisional Round game. Los Angeles lost both meetings with the Chiefs this season, 17-10 at home on Sept. 29, and 19-17 at Kansas City on Dec. 8.

“By the way, if they get by that,” Iacono said, referring to a hypothetical Chargers-Texans first-round game, “I know the Chiefs, we’re going to have to praise them; we have to. But that’s not a bad deal for Harbaugh. They’ve played them twice. They lost by two, they lost by seven. What a thing that would be for Harbaugh to go into Kansas City and win. I think that’s the ideal spot for the Chargers.”

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