2018 NFL Power Rankings Week 2: Los Angeles Rams crush Oakland Raiders 33-13

16. Los Angeles Chargers

Heading into Week 1, the Los Angeles Chargers knew they would be at a slight disadvantage on defense since Joey Bosa was unable to go, but it’s safe to say that nobody expected them to lose to the Kansas City Chiefs the way they did. After seeing how great the defense looked in the final two months of last season, it was tough to watch the Chargers have zero answers when it comes to trying to keep Patrick Mahomes II (four touchdown passes) and Tyreek Hill (three total touchdowns) in check.

This may only be one game, but also keep in mind that one of the main reasons why Los Angeles failed to earn a playoff spot last year despite winning six of their final seven games was due to a poor start in September. Taking until Week 5 to win their first game came back to haunt the Chargers in a big way, and the last thing the team wanted to see was the same thing happen again in 2018.

Talent wise, Los Angeles seems capable of being a playoff contender in the AFC, although finishing on top of the division is going to be a difficult challenge. Maybe with a favorable matchup against the Buffalo Bills in Week 2, the Chargers can recover with a strong outing to earn their first win of the new season.