The Chargers won’t have Gus Edwards against the Patriots on Saturday, but it remains to be seen if their running back options will include J.K. Dobbins.
Dobbins has been listed as questionable to come off of injured reserve in time to play in New England. Dobbins, who missed the last four games with a knee injury, was designated to return to action earlier this week and head coach Jim Harbaugh said he had a good week of practice.
Edwards has an ankle injury and was ruled out after being listed as out of practice for the last two days.
The Chargers also ruled out linebacker Denzel Perryman (groin) and guard Trey Pipkins (hip). Tight ends Will Dissly (shoulder) and Hayden Hurst (illness) join Dobbins and cornerback Elijah Molden (knee) in the questionable category.
The Chargers handed in their first injury report of the week on Tuesday and it featured both of their top running backs.
Gus Edwards is listed as a limited participant due to an ankle injury. Edwards ran 14 times for 68 yards and two touchdowns in last Sunday’s win over the Broncos.
J.K. Dobbins (knee) was also limited in his first appearance on the injury report since being designated for return from injured reserve. If he is going to play against the Patriots, the Chargers will have to activate him by Friday.
Tight end Will Dissly (shoulder), cornerback Cam Hart (concussion), safety Tony Jefferson (hamstring), and defensive back Elijah Molden (knee) were the other players listed as limited. Tight end Hayden Hurst (illness), defensive lineman Otito Ogbonnia (pelvis), linebacker Denzel Perryman (groin), guard Trey Pipkins (hip), and punter JK Scott (illness) were listed as non-participants.
We may know all 14 playoff teams by the end of Week 17.
The NFL released all the playoff scenarios for this week on Tuesday and it shows that the five remaining berths can all be filled by next Monday night. The AFC has two spots still up for grabs and the Broncos and Chargers can claim them by winning their games on Saturday. The Broncos will be in Cincinnati and the Chargers will be in New England.
Losses or ties by the Dolphins and Colts would also advance the Chargers if they should stumble against the Patriots.
The Chiefs can also sew up the top seed in the conference with a win over the Steelers on Christmas or a Bills loss to the Jets on Sunday.
In the NFC, the Falcons will clinch their spot and the NFC South with a win over the Commanders or a Bucs loss to the Panthers. The Commanders are also in with a win and they would also clinch if they and the Bucs both lose their games.
The Rams can wrap up their spot and an NFC West division title with a win against Arizona and a Seahawks loss or tie in Thursday night’s game against the Bears. A Rams win and four combined wins by the Vikings, Bills, 49ers, Commanders, Bengals, and Browns would also get the job done.
A Washington loss would make the Eagles the NFC East champs. The Eagles can also take care of business themselves by beating the Cowboys.
Finally, the Lions will nail down the NFC North and the top seed in the conference if the Vikings lose to the Packers on Sunday and they beat the 49ers on Monday night.
Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh was an NFL quarterback for 15 years and had some good moments, but he was never as good a player as the quarterback he coaches now, Justin Herbert. Harbaugh watches Herbert play the game and wishes he had been more like him.
As the Chargers beat the Broncos on Thursday night, Herbert told Harbaugh on the sideline that he was having fun like he was playing pickup basketball. Harbaugh admired that.
“I guess the first thing that hit me was, I wish I would’ve treated those situations like that when I was a player,” Harbaugh said. “That’s the best way to do it. It seems like the weight of the world’s on your shoulders. It’s not. Go out there and enjoy it, and treat it like it’s pickup basketball. That kind of filled it in for me. That’s why he is who he is. I wish I had treated it more like that when I played. Now it’s good to have that example and be able to encourage others to do the same. That, ‘Let it rip’ kind of mentality. Which I love.”
Harbaugh reflected on how he was so much more serious when playing organized football than he was when playing pickup basketball.
“You think about pickup basketball, that’s what it’s like,” Harbaugh said. “In the summer you’d show up at the court, outside basketball court on cement there and the nets were chain nets and you formed your team early in the morning and then you would play until you got beat. So much like the playoffs. And then once you got beat you had to form a new team. And the goal was to play to lunch. If you could get your team together, play all the way to lunchtime, then you could go eat, come back and start the afternoon and see if you could play the rest of the day with your team. It meant a lot, there was so much on the line, you wanted to play your best, but you just played.”
Harbaugh thinks Herbert brings that mentality to the Chargers.
“We play better when we’re free and loose and focused at the same time,” Harbaugh said. “I think everybody plays better when they’re playing with joy.”
The Texans claimed wide receiver Diontae Johnson off waivers from the Ravens on Monday, but they were not the only team to submit a claim.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports the Chargers also put in a claim.
The Texans and Chargers have the same 9-6 record, but Houston had a higher claim based on the aggregate winning percentage of their opponents. The Texans’ opponents are 110-114 and the Chargers’ 114-110, Daniel Popper of TheAthletic.com reports.
The Ravens cut Johnson on Friday, three weeks after he refused to enter the team’s game against the Eagles.
In Houston, Johnson will help play Tank Dell, who is out for the year with a severe knee injury.
