The Chargers improved to 8-4 after defeating the Falcons last Sunday.
After Week 13, let’s see where Los Angeles stands in NFL power rankings:
USA Today: 12 (Previous: 13)
“QB Justin Herbert is reaching new levels of efficiency for what is still, perhaps, an overly conservative offense. But he’s joined Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay version) as the only players to pass for at least 2,500 yards and fewer than two picks in their first 12 games of a season. Herbert, whose interception rate is a league-low 0.3%, averaged 10.5 over his first four seasons.”
NFL: 9 (Previous: 9)
“The Chargers struggled all day on offense against the Falcons, allowing a shocking five sacks (to a team that had 10 total coming in) and converting on just three of 11 third downs. They placed J.K. Dobbins on injured reserve with a knee injury prior to kickoff and handed the ball off just 12 times Sunday, gaining 55 yards on those carries, while Hassan Haskins coughed up a fumble on his only touch of the game. Thankfully, the defense did its job, logging four interceptions of Kirk Cousins (including a pick-six by rookie Tarheeb Still) and stripping Cousins for what would have been a fifth turnover had the Falcons not recovered. The Bolts also held firm in the red zone, allowing Atlanta to score only one TD on four trips down there. This was a much-needed win after L.A. dropped to 7-4, but it was hardly a statement victory, featuring a reprise of some of the team’s early-season struggles on offense. The offensive line, considered to be a strength coming into the season, has been a disappointment in more games than I imagined it would be.”
ESPN: 9 (Previous: 9)
First-time Pro Bowl nominee: Wide receiver Ladd McConkey
“McConkey has emerged as one of the NFL’s best receivers this season and quarterback Justin Herbert’s most trusted target. McConkey is 13th in the NFL in receiving yards (815) and has the second-most yards among rookies. He is the first Chargers rookie wideout since Keenan Allen to have three 100-plus-yard receiving games, including 117 of the Chargers’ 150 receiving yards (78%) against the Falcons. That was the third-highest percentage of a team’s receiving yards by a single player this season.”
CBS Sports: 8 (Previous: 8)
“Winning on the road at Atlanta was a nice way to bounce back after the Ravens loss. Now comes a tough one at Kansas City against the Chiefs.”
Sports Illustrated: 9 (Previous: 9)
“Another complete and total game from the Chargers’ secondary, which is not just the Derwin James show. The Power Rankings have been a huge fan of Tarheeb Still and he had another massive game against a rusty-looking Falcons offense. Clearly, the Chargers cannot sustain this kind of pace without something developing in terms of a non-Ladd McConkey playmaker, and McConkey was banged up in two different places after carrying a 50% target share in this one and amassing almost all of Justin Herbert’s total passing yards.”
Bleacher Report: 9 (Previous: 9)
And with J.K. Dobbins (knee) on injured reserve, the Chargers offense looked flat-out bad against Atlanta. Ladd McConkey is quickly developing into a star receiver, but L.A. needs more than one offensive playmaker to be a serious playoff threat.”
