Bolts land at No. 18 in post-Super Bowl power rankings

Now that the final game of the 2020-2021 has been played, the NFL Staff over at Bleacher Report published one final edition of the NFL power rankings.

The Chargers fell to the basement of the league following frustrating loss after frustrating loss, each with their new and twisted way to lose. However, a four-game win-streak to finish out the season put some much-needed wind in the team’s sails and they managed to finished right around the middle of the NFL with a 7-9 record.

In B/R’s final rankings, they came in at No. 18.

Here’s what the staff had to say about their placement on the list:

“A seven-win 2020 season wasn’t enough to save Anthony Lynn’s job with the Los Angeles Chargers. But one significant positive appeared for the Bolts.”

“The Chargers appear to have found themselves a quarterback.”

“Justin Herbert was a revelation as a rookie, throwing for 4,336 yards and a rookie-record 31 touchdowns with a passer rating of 98.3. Those numbers won Herbert the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.

“The Chargers have their quarterback in Herbert. A solid array of passing-game weapons led by Keenan Allen. A decent offensive line. And talent on defense—especially if Derwin James and Joey Bosa can stay healthy.”

“Among the first-year head coaches, Staley may have the best shot at making a run at a wild-card spot in 2021.”

In an interview with the Associated Press, Herbert spoke about his conversations with new head coach Brandon Staley, including what the next steps were for him as a player and the team, as a whole.

“To be as busy as he was with everything going on, he reached out to me, and that meant a lot to me,” Herbert said. “We kind of just talked about what he saw going forward. I know that talking about the offense and about all that stuff is coming up soon.”

Staley wasted no time in letting the fan base know his plans for Herbert and the offense moving forward. During his introductory press conference, he said the plan is not try and fit his quarterback into any already-established system. The plan is to get together with his offensive staff and build a playbook from scratch that will maximizes Herbert’s talents and all the things that he does best.

In his press conference on Tuesday, Herbert voiced his excitement to get his hands on the playbook and I’m sure many fans would echo that sentiment.