Los Angeles Chargers

Chargers need help in quest for playoff slot (Dec 31, 2017)

Published Dec. 27, 2017 9:30 p.m. ET

The Los Angeles Chargers have used "Fight for L.A." as a slogan in their quest to wrestle attention away from the Los Angeles Rams.

Come Sunday, they might get a sense of what that really means.

The Chargers will welcome the Oakland Raiders in to cap the regular season at the StubHub Center. Despite it being the Chargers' final home game of their inaugural season in their return to L.A., the Raiders promise to bring a big crowd.

"We ran into this in San Diego too, depending on who you would play," quarterback Philip Rivers said. "It's nothing that we will have to spend any extra time on."

Not that the Chargers should. Instead, all the attention on winning for the ninth time in 12 games with a sprint they hope is enough to earn an AFC wild-card playoff spot.

"If we got to nine wins and it was enough to go to the playoffs, then after the game we will be super fired up," Rivers said. "And if it's not, you still want to finish up the season in the right way."

The Chargers' path to the playoffs is a bit convoluted. Not only do they need to win, but they need Jacksonville to beat Tennessee and either have Miami beat Buffalo or Baltimore defeat Cincinnati.

Confusing? Not for the Chargers.

"I can't find one yet where we can lose and still make it," Rivers said. "We can only control what we can control. Shoot, I don't think any of us are going to be carried away over what else is going on and then not take care of our business."

With the sagging Raiders limping toward the tape, head coach Anthony Lynn still expects Oakland's best shot.

"If they can't win it, I'm sure they would have no problem spoiling it for us," he said.