It’s been a rough start to the football season for Los Angeles fans, as the LA Rams and Chargers are winless so far. The Rams must win against the Giants on Monday night or risk following in the Chargers’ footsteps as an early-season disappointment.
Entering the 2026 season, the Chargers had the fifth-highest odds to win the Super Bowl, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. They also have the fourth-most wins in the NFL since Jim Harbaugh took the head coaching job in 2024. So far, this season is trending
to be a bust for the Chargers, as they’ve lost their first two games to the Cardinals and Raiders despite being favored in both matchups.
Neither Arizona nor Las Vegas is expected to be a juggernaut or finish with a winning record this season. It was already bad (and odd) enough for the Chargers to lose 26-14 in the first two games. The other LA losing games to teams they should have beaten could spell the end of their season before Week 3.
Their schedule is set to get EXTREMELY BRUTAL. The Chargers will play five teams that made the playoffs in 2025 in their next seven games, including the Rams and the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks. Holy strength-of-schedule, Batman!
Los Angeles won’t start 0-9, as they’ll figure out a way to win maybe one or two of those matchups. Either way, it doesn’t matter, considering the Chargers shouldn’t be in this position in the first place.
The Rams cannot afford to stumble like their roommate any further. They have far more on the line than the Chargers.
Falling short of expectations isn’t an option for the Rams. LA’s front office poured too many resources into the roster — trading for Myles Garrett and signing Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, for example — to allow that to happen, recent injury concerns be damned.
As it’s been stated many, many times since the Rams lost to the 49ers, it was undoubtedly a major setback to begin the season. It certainly took the wind out of the sails of what could be a special season in Hollywood. Yes, the Niners are way better than both teams the Chargers have lost to, yet the Rams were still favored, so there are no excuses.
The Rams can’t let that season-opening failure define them, as the Chargers have essentially allowed it to happen through the first two weeks. Similar to the Chargers, the Rams have a tough upcoming slate. Following the Giants game, the Rams will face four playoff teams from last season in their next seven, including the Chargers. They will also play the Raiders, who the Chargers lost to by 12 on Sunday.
Simply put, the Rams must win on Monday night to avoid becoming an early-season disappointment like the Chargers. It might already be too late for the Chargers this early in the year, and the Rams could suffer a similar fate if they can’t beat an opponent in New York that they should be able to beat.
