The Chargers fumbled the game away on Monday night, falling short to the Cardinals.
After Week 7, let’s see where Los Angeles stands in NFL power rankings:
USA Today: 19 (Previous: 17)
“You could say a lot of things about the Bolts over the years, but rarely that they were boring. Welp. HC Jim Harbaugh’s Big Ten approach probably further lowers this team’s already limited ceiling.”
NFL: 17 (Previous: 15)
“This one is going to sting. Jim Harbaugh was irate with a pair of late officiating decisions — a non-call while his offense had the ball and an unnecessary roughness on his defense — but the Chargers really lost Monday’s game at Arizona by failing to finish drives. Los Angeles bled off more than eight minutes on its final march, but ultimately had to settle for Cameron Dicker’s fifth field goal of the night to go up, 15-14. On the Cardinals’ ensuing drive, the 15-yard flag on Cam Hart hurt, but giving up a 33-yard catch-and-run to James Conner on the very next play was what truly allowed Arizona to score the final three points and nab a 17-15 win. Justin Herbert passed for a season-high 349 yards and made some pretty throws — some caught, some not — when he wasn’t under heavy pressure. L.A.’s lack of offensive weaponry right now is glaring, especially with the run game stalling out. The Chargers crossed midfield seven times, but ran just one play inside Arizona’s 10-yard line. The schedule lightens in the coming weeks, but this loss is going to stick in Harbaugh’s craw for a while.”
ESPN: 18 (Previous: 17)
Young riser: FB/DT Scott Matlock
“As a rookie defensive tackle last season, Matlock played primarily on special teams. He was expected to have an increased role on the interior defensive line this season, but coach Jim Harbaugh switched Matlock to fullback and he has been an essential part of the Chargers’ rushing game. Matlock, 24, still plays defense and special teams; his 236 snaps are the 11th most on the team. He’s emerging as an unlikely but crucial part of one of the NFL’s best rushing offenses. ”
CBS Sports: 20 (Previous: 14)
“They are limited on offense with the injuries at receiver, and it showed up in the loss to the Cardinals. They need to get bodies back. The defense let them down late in that loss.”
Sports Illustrated: 19 (Previous: 15)
“Too low? I was impressed with the team’s ability to grind out an eight-plus minute drive to take the lead late in Monday night’s loss to the Cardinals, but Jim Harbaugh is going to have the time and space to build out his weapon set here in Los Angeles … and he’s going to need it. Will Dissly led the way tonight in receiving for the Chargers.”
Bleacher Report: 20 (Previous: 16)
“This is the sort of loss that comes back to haunt a franchise late in the season—the sort of defeat that can be the difference between a Wild Card spot and watching the postseason on TV. The Chargers outplayed the Cardinals in some respects. But the run game never got going, and Los Angeles only reached the red-zone once and settled for a field goal then. The argument can be made that Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers got out-toughed Monday night—and that’s a bad look for a squad that has hung its hat on physicality over the first month-plus of the season.”
