With their shot at winning the AFC West no longer on the table last weekend, Jim Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers opted to rest their starters in Week 18 against the Denver Broncos — headlined by star QB Justin Herbert.
The rationale was sound, given that Los Angeles had little to play for on the road against a top-seeded Denver team, coupled with the fact that an extra week of rest would benefit a QB like Herbert who underwent a surgical procedure on his non-throwing hand just a month ago.
As such, the Chargers fell to the Broncos, 19-3, locking Denver into the No.