AN EARLY LOOK AT THE 2018 CHARGERS SCHEDULE

The first thing you notice about the Chargers 2018 schedule is the beginning. The Chargers haven't started off with a good start since 2014. They started off with a loss in Arizona then compiled 5 straight wins. They ended the season 9-7. The 2018 schedule begins against 3 Playoff teams from 2017. The NFL has given them one nationally televised game and that isn't until week in Kansas City.

  Week 1 Home Chiefs
  Week 2 Away Bills
  Week 3 Away Rams
  Week 4 Home 49ers
  Week 5 Home Raiders
  Week 6 Away Browns
  Week 7  London Titans
  Week 8 Bye
  Week 9 Away Seahawks
  Week 10 Away Raiders
  Week 11 Home Broncos
  Week 12 Home Cardinals
  Week 13 Away Steelers
  Week 14 Home Bengals
  Week 15 Away Chiefs TNF
  Week 16 Home Ravens TBA
  Week 17 Away Broncos

 The Chargers after week 5 vs Oakland don't return to Carson again until week 11. They also have potential cold games in Pittsburgh, KC and Denver. The Bye comes at a perfect spot in Week 8 after the team travels to London.

 Week 16 could be a Saturday night game or a Sunday afternoon game. The NFL has until around week 7 to make that decision. What that game does bring is Eric Weddle return to play the owner of the team he has so many hurtful feeling towards. (Weddle missed a halftime to watch his daughter perform at halftime. He was fined by the team and he filed a grievance with the players union. Before the issue could be resolved the team told him he could not fly with the team final game in Denver then Dean Spanos garnished the fine out of his final paycheck.)

There are no must win games in the NFL in September. But as the Chargers have learned there are Big games in September that decides if you make the playoffs or not. The Chargers have a tradition of starting off slow going through several years and 3 head coaches.

 Week one is more than a divisional game. It is playing against a team that has been the thorn in your side for several years now. The Chiefs haven't loss to the Chargers since the last week of the 2013 season. The Chargers just a week before the NFL draft have done nothing yet to think they can stop KC running game that controlled and dominated the Chargers last year. Charger fans hope that changes next week in the NFL draft that begins a week from today. Charger fans will have their eye on week 1 and the weaknesses on the Chargers with every pick made.

 A good start and especially a win over the Chiefs would mean a lot to a team that hasn't had a win over KC in 4 years. It would also put the NFL on notice this is a different Chargers team than in years past. The Chargers have one nationally televised game in 2018. Playing at Stubhub which makes a national TV game almost impossible because of a local college nearby using the parking lot during the week. But it also shows the powers that be in NY are not believers in the team that won 9 of 12 to end the season in 2017. In the FightforLA, The Rams have 5 national tv games.

 The Chargers have an agreement with the Stubhub Center there is to be no weekday games at the facility.

I'm not going to predict the record 3 hours after the NFL schedule was released. We will get into that after the draft a week from today. But it does seem with a good draft this team is capable of 10 to 11 wins in 2018.