"The Chargers, who play at Dallas on Sunday, can secure a postseason berth with a victory and some help from a team or two. Coupled with a win over the Cowboys, the Chargers need Las Vegas to win at Houston (unlikely) or San Francisco to win at Indianapolis (more likely) so they can rest easy knowing they're at least in the playoffs for the second consecutive season under Jim Harbaugh."
"The league liked Texans-Chargers on Saturday because both of those clubs likely will be playing in January - maybe against each other again - and if that game were moved to Sunday afternoon, it would be going head-to-head against Fox's national game, Philadelphia at Buffalo, a potential Super Bowl preview. So the NFL wanted to do the Texans and Chargers a solid and give them the national stage to themselves."
"Although the Rams have already qualified for the playoffs, they need to regain their balance after a spirit-snapping loss at Seattle on Thursday that likely cost them a chance at the NFC's No. 1 seed. Rams at Atlanta in Week 17 isn't a fantastic Monday night game for Week 17, especially with the Falcons currently at 5-9. But with all the games spread throughout the week of Christmas, there weren't a lot of great replacement options."
The NFL scheduled late-season games to feature teams likely to play in January while avoiding conflicts with marquee national broadcasts. The Chargers can clinch a playoff spot with a win plus favorable results, with Las Vegas or San Francisco outcomes affecting that path. The Rams, already in the postseason, must rebound from a costly loss that likely hurt their chance at the NFC's top seed. Texans-Chargers received a Saturday 1:30 p.m. slot to avoid clashing with Philadelphia-Buffalo on Fox, and Rams-Falcons remain Monday Night Football due to limited replacement options during the Christmas week.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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