AP

If the playoffs started today, the Chargers would be in it, as the No. 6 seed in the AFC. When the playoffs actually start five weeks from today, the Chargers probably won’t be in it.

The reason is that San Diego plays a brutal schedule, the hardest in the NFL over the final five weeks, and it’s almost impossible to envision them winning most of their games the rest of the way.

The 7-4 Chargers play at Baltimore on Sunday, and after that they get back-to-back home games against the Patriots and Broncos, followed by back-to-back road games against the 49ers and Chiefs. That’s five straight games against teams that are competing for playoff spots themselves.

And the Chargers have not played very well against good teams this year. San Diego is 5-0 against teams that currently have losing records, but only 2-4 against teams that currently have winning records.

So while the Chargers are well positioned to make the playoffs at the moment, the reality is that they’re likely to end the season on the outside looking in.