The Los Angeles Chargers kick off Week 9 against the New York Jets on Monday, Nov. 6 at 6:15 p.m. PT.
Who is going to come out victorious?
Here is a look at the predictions from each of our writers at Chargers Wire:
Gavino:
The Jets’ defense is no joke. They held the Giants to eight passing yards, and have been a nightmare to opposing quarterbacks. And it won’t likely be an easy task for Justin Herbert, either. But the same can’t be said about New York’s offense. I see the Chargers slowing Zach Wilson and finding a way to put enough points on the scoreboard to win the game in a low-scoring affair.
Chargers 20, Jets 17
Alex K:
Los Angeles needs a good performance from their defense on Monday night to stay tethered to the Jets, whose defensive unit will likely be able to stifle a Chargers offense missing Joshua Palmer. Luckily, New York’s offense with Zach Wilson is one of the most boom-or-bust units in football. Prevent the big plays – something LA has struggled to do in 2023 – and the Chargers should be able to eke out a win.
Chargers 20, Jets 17
Alex I:
Despite the Chargers’ win over Chicago last week, I’m still skeptical about this offense. LA’s run game seems to have completely tanked as they’re averaging 3.32 yards per carry in their last three games. Being unable to rely on the run game now is tough at a time when wide receivers Mike Williams and Joshua Palmer are out.
The Jets’ defense has all of the variables that the Chargers tend to struggle with. Their defensive front at the first level is pretty versatile and they’ve got a lockdown secondary. The trio of Sauce Gardner, D.J. Reed, and Michael Carter II is the best group in the league.
The Chargers are favored by 3.5 and I assume a lot of that is Justin Herbert vs. Zach Wilson factor. In a league driven by quarterbacks, it’s understandable. But the Jets’ defense has been a nightmare for opposing teams and it’s hard to trust the Chargers to string together drives consistently.
This is a winnable game for the Chargers and might be considered a must-win with the AFC playoff picture, but I think they come up short against a very well-coached Jets squad.