Joey Bosa, Chargers focus on little things, not big picture

They’ve gained 4 video games in a row and 5 of six, clinched a postseason berth and are as wholesome as they’ve been in months, and immediately the Chargers aren’t Chargering in any respect.

Coming into the common season’s last Sunday, they’ve an opportunity to finish the bounce from 6-6 to the AFC’s prime wild-card spot, which might bury even deeper the continual notion that this franchise is cursed.

Nonetheless, as somebody who has been a Charger longer than most, Joey Bosa wasn’t fascinated by considering the workforce’s flip of fine fortune and what it would imply cosmically.

“[Let’s] simply attempt to give attention to what we do and never take into consideration that,” Bosa stated. “It jogs my memory of early within the season. ‘Oh, you’ve got all these guys again wholesome’ after which the [stuff] hits the fan.”

His is the angle of a seven-year NFL veteran, one who is aware of effectively the fact of stuff hitting the fan. Bosa simply returned after lacking 12 video games due to a core-muscle damage.

He additionally is aware of that, throughout his time with the Chargers, it will mark solely the franchise’s second playoff look. The 2018 workforce was the convention’s No. 1 wild card after which gained at Baltimore earlier than dropping at New England.

Bosa was at the very least keen to confess that the temper surrounding the Chargers remained encouraging throughout preparations to shut out the regular season at Denver.

“I really feel just like the vibe round right here and the power is good,” he stated. “It’s constructive. Guys are out at observe joking round, in a great way… Guys are simply blissful to be round right here proper now. I feel we simply should proceed that going ahead.”

A victory over the Broncos or a Baltimore loss at Cincinnati within the earlier window of video games Sunday would give the Chargers the convention’s fifth seed. That will imply a visit to both Tennessee or Jacksonville within the wild-card spherical.

If the Chargers slip to sixth, they’d open the playoffs at Buffalo or Cincinnati, assignments that seem tougher given the latest postseason success of these groups.

Both method, the Chargers have had a pair weeks to embrace a return to the postseason following three years of developing quick. Final season, they have been eradicated from rivalry in time beyond regulation in Week 18.

“That is my fifth season and I’ve been solely as soon as,” security Derwin James Jr. stated of the playoffs. “That ought to inform you numerous. I’m very grateful. [But] we bought rather a lot greater objectives than simply making the playoffs.”

The Chargers have surged towards the tip of the common season behind a protection that elevated its play within the absence of James.

Since a quadriceps damage and a concussion, the three-time Professional Bowl choice has performed solely 25 snaps since Dec. 4. James appeared within the Chargers’ Week 16 sport at Indianapolis however was ejected within the second quarter due to an unlawful hit.

But, with gamers resembling exterior linebacker Kyle Van Noy, cornerback Michael Davis and security Alohi Gilman performing in very noticeable methods, the Chargers have held their final 4 opponents to a mean of 11 factors a sport.

With out James, defensive coordinator Renaldo Hill stated he believes the remainder of the Chargers needed to focus extra on the main points understanding their star security wasn’t accessible to save lots of them if one thing went unsuitable.

“He can erase a lot,” Hill stated. “When it goes unhealthy, he could make it appear like it’s a constructive play. … I feel when he’s not there, it’s a little bit extra pressing for the fellows to ensure that they’re on level. …

“I feel it’s simply an urgency when these guys know he’s not there, these reps should be virtually excellent. It has helped our workforce in that method. However we wouldn’t wish to be taking part in with out Derwin shifting ahead.”

With the importance of this sport unsure, the Chargers have gone from early field-goal favorites to slight underdogs. So now, a 4-12 workforce heading nowhere is favored over a 10-6 workforce that’s prepping for the playoffs.

That state of affairs virtually definitely would shift once more if the Chargers discover out simply earlier than kickoff that they should win.

With such unsettled floor below his gamers’ ft, coach Brandon Staley stated Friday that the Chargers stay solely within the Broncos and making an attempt to safe their eleventh win.

“You already know that they’re going to demand our full consideration, and our gamers know that,” he stated. “Going into this sport, they know that, ‘We’re going to play our gamers and we’re going to play effectively.’ Because the info on the bottom change inside the sport, then yeah, issues might change.

“However we’re not getting into with the mindset like, ‘Oh, effectively he’s not going to play. He’s not going to play.’ We’re going [to Denver] to win this sport and play our greatest. Then, as the sport unfolds, we’ll see what occurs.”