Let’s get the awkward part out of the way — the Chargers weren’t generating any serious expectations when the season began. This writer remained skeptical of them even after a 2-0 start, largely because injuries to star players were becoming a problem for this team once again. However, here the Chargers sit, firmly in second place in the AFC West and feeling good after a 23-16 road win over Denver. The first big takeaway after that victory was how legitimate Los Angeles’ defense has become under first-year coordinator Jesse Minter. Yes, it’s not a huge deal to shut down a rookie quarterback like Bo Nix, but this unit was equally fierce against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in a Week 4 loss. It’s not hard to see the Bolts winning that game with a healthier team, which is why there’s hope for them to be playing relevant football come winter. Quarterback Justin Herbert looked better after battling a high ankle sprain before the Week 5 bye. It was just as encouraging to see him throwing the football more against the Broncos. Herbert averaged 144.5 passing yards in his first four games this season. He threw for 237 yards and a touchdown against Denver, as Los Angeles clearly capitalized against a defense that lost Patrick Surtain II, the Broncos’ Pro Bowl cornerback, early in the game to a concussion. If Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman can keep opening up the offense, there’s every reason to think this team can stay in the playoff race. As with most of the other clubs mentioned here, the schedule matters. The Chargers should be happy with theirs. They’ll see the Cardinals, Saints, Browns and Titans over the next month. Those teams have six combined wins between them.