The Chargers fell to the Cardinals 17-15 in an anticlimactic primetime matchup.
The Game started very defensive. The Chargers got an interception on the Cardinals’ opening drive but fumbled it back to Arizona on the return. Arizona couldn’t get anything going after that and punted. Justin Herbert hit Jalen Reagor deep to the red zone, but the ball was punched out and went into the end zone.
The second quarter saw some scoring, however. Cameron Dicker hit a career-high 59-yard field goal to get the Bolts on the board first. The Cardinals answered with a masterful 79-yard touchdown drive culminating in a touchdown catch from Greg Dortch. Cameron Dicker then hit one from 50 yards to make it a 7-6 game with the clock running into the second half.
The third quarter was quiet once again. The Chargers were able to get into field goal range once again, and Cameron Dicker drained one once again. The fourth quarter is when things started to pick up for the Cardinals. Kyler Murray did what he does best, running 44 yards to the house to get things started.
Cameron Dicker hit two more field goals during the fourth, making it a one score game after the two minute warning. The Cardinals were down to a crucial third down when a questionable unnecessary roughness call was called on rookie CB Cam Hart. This opened up a window for a massive James Conner run, where Chad Ryland hit the game winner as the clock hit zero.
One excuse that could easily be made for the Chargers on this Monday night loss is the officiating down the stretch. During LA’s last drive, WR Simi Fehoko was held but the ball was ruled “uncatchable.” Then, the previously mentioned roughness call happened that most NFL fans disagree with. While these things do deserve to be mentioned to further improve the game of football, the Chargers should not have had to be in this situation to begin with.
The biggest issue the Bolts had was missing tackles. This is a problem they had in their win vs. the Broncos, and it finally came back to bite them. The amount of missed tackles they had on James Conner that resulted in first downs are likely exactly why Arizona was able to bring home the win. The other thing that goes along with this was containing Kyler Murray.
While Kyler can run against even the best defenses, containing the QB is something crucial for any team in the AFC West. Going against Mahomes two times a year, missing the sacks on him and letting up big throws downfield as a result is what kills them in those games. Even against the Broncos, Bo Nix was able to get the Broncos offense going with passes off of missed sacks. While letting up rushing yards to the shiftiest QB in the league is not something to get hung up on, it is surely a concern that needs to be addressed if the Bolts want to make a run this season.
The other problem for the Chargers is simply that they need to get Mike Williams back. The offense struggled in this game, which can be attributed to many things. Some say they need star level talent, which isn’t true. With an offense that revolves around JK Dobbins and Justin Herbert being able to make plays, superstar receivers aren’t needed. However, Will Dissly cannot be Justin Herbert’s favorite target. Herbert didn’t seem to have confidence with any of his receivers, which is why he kept looking for his TE for short gains.
Sure, getting Quentin Johnston back would help things out for this offense. However, Justin Herbert’s favorite target is available in trade talks on the Jets right now and he will not go for much. Adding in the fact that the Chiefs may be a real candidate for Williams, LA cannot let the longtime Charger land on a division rival.
This loss is one very reminiscent of the old Chargers. The game comes down to a game winning drive that shouldn’t have occurred if the Chargers didn’t make crucial mistakes throughout the whole game. The run game could not get going and even though James Conner is who he is, this defense should not have let themselves get run on all game. When Brandon Staley’s Chargers couldn’t pass the ball for 350 yards, the team would lose.
This is the exact moment in the season where Jim Harbaugh gets the team together to strive through adversity, proving they aren’t the Chargers of old. They are still in a good spot, so this would be the best time to regroup before facing more subpar competition.