With a win on Saturday, the Los Angeles Chargers would punch their ticket to the postseason. And on Friday, the team got some great news regarding running back J.K. Dobbins.
For much of the season, Dobbins has been the bellcow running back for the Chargers.
Unfortunately for the Chargers, he has been out for the last four weeks due to a knee injury suffered in a Week 12 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Since then, the Chargers have struggled mightily to run the football. Since Dobbins’ injury, the Chargers have had a rusher gain over 50 yards in a game just once.
Luckily, Dobbins is now set to return for the team’s biggest game of the season against the New England Patriots.
On Friday, the Chargers officially designated Dobbins to return off injured reserve. He will be available for the Chargers-Patriots game on Saturday according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
There are multiple scenarios where the Chargers can clinch a postseason bid in Week 17. But the most straightforward one is to simply beat a Patriots team that has struggled mightily this season.
Dobbins’ return should go a long way in doing just that. Especially since the Patriots allow the ninth-most rushing yards in the NFL this season.
Currently, the Chargers currently find themselves as six-point favorites over the Patriots on the majority of sportsbooks. So they are at the very least projected to take care of business and clinch a postseason birth.
But surely, Chargers fans are quite happy to hear that one of their most impactful starters on offense in Dobbins will be returning to the fold.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.