Things might look bad for the Los Angeles Chargers as they exit a 40-17 loss and hit a two-game skid, but the NFL hasn’t given up on them just yet. 

As hinted by previous reporting, the NFL confirmed that the Chargers’ Week 17 game against the New England Patriots will be one of three Saturday games on NFL Network. 

The NFL announced the triple-header national special, revealing that the Chargers will kick off the festivities with a 1 p.m. ET kickoff in Foxborough. 

Another game with huge AFC implications will kick off at 4 p.m. ET when the Cincinnati Bengals host the Denver Broncos. 

Picking the Chargers as one of the five eligible matchups for a national Saturday slot expresses some confidence in Jim Harbaugh’s team. It has a little to do with exciting Patriots rookie passer Drake Maye, too. 

But most of all, it stresses that the Chargers are still likely playoff bound, especially if they can snap out of the two-game skid with a win over those Broncos on Thursday night while kicking off the Week 16 slate. 

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/chargers/ as Chargers schedule change is proof NFL still believes in Jim Harbaugh's team.