Los Angeles Chargers running back Gus Edwards limped off at the end of the team’s fourth drive in the second quarter. Below is the latest on Edwards’ injury status.
What Happened to Gus Edwards?
UPDATE: Edwards was able to return to the game near the end of the first half, though he did not receive another touch in the half after departing.
At the start of the second half, Edwards was not all that involved. However, fantasy managers breathed a sigh of relief when he came in to score a Chargers touchdown in the third quarter.
Edwards left the field after a second-down play with 5:42 remaining. He had carried the ball for two yards on the previous play, so it’s not entirely clear what happened to the veteran back.
The good news is that he remained on the sideline rather than exiting for the locker room or going into the blue medical tent. That could indicate a minor injury, though he did not re-enter the drive before the Chargers had to punt it away.
Potential Fantasy Fallout From Edwards’ Injury
Analysis via PFN’s Kyle Soppe
The Los Angeles run game has been largely impactful for our purposes after the hot start to the season by J.K. Dobbins, so there’s only so much value to chase here.
That said, we know Jim Harbaugh wants to pound the rock and that puts rookie Kimani Vidal in position to move onto our Flex radar should Edwards miss time.
Realistically, an injury like this probably puts more usage on Justin Herbert’s plate than anything, but Vidal would be the player who can be had off the wire. Ladd McConkey remains the only member of this low-octane passing attack you can trust.
What Is the Los Angeles Chargers’ Current Playoff Picture?
The Chargers are in a somewhat intriguing position in the AFC playoff picture. As the seventh-placed team in the standings, they are the most precariously placed of the current playoff teams. However, they have a two-game cushion over their nearest rivals in terms of losing that playoff spot.
Three teams with a 6-8 record after Week 15 — the Indianapolis Colts, the Miami Dolphins, and the Cincinnati Bengals — are hoping to overtake the Chargers. However, to do so, they will need the Chargers to lose at least two of their final three games.
How Does a Win Impact the Chargers’ Playoff Chances?
The Chargers cannot clinch a playoff spot with a win on Thursday Night Football. However, they can put themselves in a very strong position. At 9-6, they would need to lose their remaining two games, and one of the chasing teams must win all of their remaining three. Even then, there are permutations that could still see Los Angeles in the playoffs at 9-8.
From this point on, all analysis will be on the assumption that the Chargers have beaten the Broncos in Week 16.
The Chargers could clinch a playoff spot as early as Sunday of Week 16. With a win on Thursday and the Colts, Dolphins, and Bengals all failing to win, the Chargers would secure a playoff spot. At that point, they would have a three-game lead with only two games to play.
If that doesn’t happen, the Chargers can clinch a playoff spot the following Saturday at the New England Patriots. Regardless of any other results, a win in New England next week would clinch Los Angeles a playoff spot at 10-6 with a game to play.
If the Chargers were to lose in New England, they would have another chance at the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 18, where, again, a win would be enough regardless of what happened elsewhere.
If the Chargers don’t win another game this season and finish at 9-8, they clinch a playoff spot if all three of the Colts, Dolphins, and Bengals each fails to win one of their remaining games. At least one of them needs to get to nine wins to force the NFL playoff tiebreakers to come into effect.
If that were to happen, we would have to look first at the teams’ head-to-head records, followed by either divisional or conference records, depending on who the ties were between. There are several permutations with as many as six teams that could be tied on 9-8 if the results were to fall a certain way.
The most pertinent notes for the Chargers are:
- They have head-to-head tiebreakers over both the Broncos (2-0) and the Bengals (1-0) but are on the wrong end of the tiebreaker with the Baltimore Ravens (0-1).
- The Chargers would have a conference record of 6-6 if they finish 9-8. The Colts and Dolphins would have a superior record at 7-5, the Bengals would also be at 6-6, and the Ravens and Broncos would be a 5-7.
What all of this means is that the Chargers will always win a straight head-to-head tiebreaker with the Broncos and Bengals but will always lose a straight head-to-head tiebreaker with the Ravens. As divisional ties resolve first, having that tiebreaker over the Broncos in terms of head-to-head is vital.
Los Angeles would be in trouble if it is in any tiebreaker with Indianapolis and Miami, whom the Chargers haven’t faced this year but would have a worse conference record than.
There are no scenarios where the Colts, Dolphins, and Ravens finish with the same record as the Chargers and finish below them in the standings.
Similarly, there are no scenarios where the Bengals or Broncos can finish above the Chargers if they have the same record.