Los Angeles Chargers: Staff predictions for Chargers-Ravens

The fifth-seeded Los Angeles Chargers travel to Baltimore on Sunday to take on the fourth-seeded Ravens two weeks after losing to the Ravens in Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Chargers had just about as good of a season as you could have as a Wild Card team, finishing with the joint-highest record in the AFC at 12-4.

The Chargers had their chance to take the AFC West from the Kansas City Chiefs but were unable to get the job done after defeating the Chiefs on the last Thursday Night Football game of the season.

Both sides finished with the same record but the tiebreaker went to the Chiefs and the Chargers now have to play the team that nobody wants to play in the postseason: the Baltimore Ravens.

The Ravens are not the most talented team in the wide-open AFC but present a ton of danger with their constant rushing attack and stellar defense.

The silver lining here is that the Ravens either play absolutely dominant or not great. Charger fans will be able to tell off the bat what version of the Ravens the team will get. Either way, the Los Angeles Chargers could lose 14-10 or could win 35-21.

We predicted the scores for each Chargers and Rams game of the season and will continue into the playoffs, with playoff wins counting as double.

Jamaal Artis (18-8): 24-21, Baltimore Ravens

The Los Angeles Chargers go on the road facing a rookie QB against the Baltimore Ravens. The Chargers are a talented veteran team so they should be favored. But the Ravens will win because asking a 37-year-old quarterback to beat the cold is asking too much…

Redan Lopez (18-8): 24-20, Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers will be looking for revenge after only scoring 10 points in their first meeting two weeks ago. I’m fully confident this team will get back on track.

Chargers’ Quarterback Philip Rivers will bounce back and have a better game, throwing for 300 yards and two touchdowns. Star Running Back Melvin Gordon should also help, getting 150 scrimmage yards and a touchdown.

While the Ravens pose a formidable challenge, they will not have the same success on the defensive side. Coach Anthony Lynn will make the key adjustments to combat a tenacious Ravens D and allow the Chargers’ offense to properly execute.

Jason Reed (25-4): 27-17, Los Angeles Chargers

The Los Angeles Chargers played pretty woefully against the Baltimore Ravens in the team’s first meeting. While the Ravens’ menacing pass-rush definitely played a role in that, the Chargers also shot themselves in the foot with several penalties, three coming on big moments, that set the tone for the entire game.

Heck, the Chargers looked ready to drive down the field and take the lead in the last drive of the game like they had against the Steelers and Chiefs earlier in the year.

With great field position, Hall of Fame tight end Antonio Gates got the ball punched out of his arm just before his knee hit the ground to cement the Ravens’ win. If that didn’t happen, who knows, the Chargers could have won that game and the Ravens might’ve been out of the playoffs altogether.

I think the last meeting is clouding the judgment too much. At the end of the day, the Ravens have an inexperienced quarterback in Lamar Jackson and the Chargers are nearly fully healthy. Avoid the mistakes and the Chargers should fight their way to a two-score win.