The Los Angeles Chargers fell to 3-3 on the season after a disappointing out on Monday night. Justin Herbert’s solid outing wasn’t enough to secure the victory as the Chargers lost by a final score of 17–15 to the Arizona Cardinals.
Justin Herbert had his best passing performance of the season
This primetime road matchup for the Chargers saw a bounce-back performance from star quarterback Justin Herbert. He threw for a season-high 349 passing yards with a 69.2% completion rate and zero interceptions. However, he also threw zero touchdown passes as the Chargers’ offense struggled to put points on the board.
Herbert has been dealing with injuries and, as a result, playing inconsistently this season. This was a solid step in the right direction for the 2021 Offensive Rookie of the Year. If he can continue to pass at a high level, the Chargers should be able to turn their season around soon.
The Chargers’ rushing attack has fallen apart
The Los Angeles Chargers had the best rushing attack in the NFL through the first two weeks of the season. Since then, however, it has completely fallen apart as they now average just 116.3 rushing yards per game.
As a team, the Chargers totaled just 69 rushing yards against the Cardinals. J.K. Dobbins led the team with 40 rushing yards on 14 carries. The Bolts need to reignite that flame that powered their rushing attack through the beginning of the season.
Stopping the run was a problem in Arizona
The Cardinals’ rushing offense had its way with the Chargers’ defense. Arizona totaled 181 total rushing yards in the contest led by RB James Conner who racked up 101 yards on 19 carries. Murray also added 64 rushing yards as a quarterback on six carries, including a 44-yard touchdown scamper.
Where was the Chargers’ pass rush?
The Chargers’ defense didn’t total a single sack against QB Kyler Murray and the Cardinals in Week 7. Los Angeles ranks 25th in the NFL this season with only 13 sacks through seven weeks. Joey Bosa was out again this week due to injury and his absence is being felt.
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Cameron Dicker was the player of the game
It’s usually not a good sign when your kicker is the player of the game, but the Chargers did enjoy a standout performance from Cameron Dicker. He went 5-of-5 on field goals in the contest, scoring all 15 of the Chargers’ points with a longest kick of 59 yards.
Looking ahead to the Week 8 vs the Saints
The Chargers will look to get back above .500 on the year in Week 8 with a winnable matchup against the New Orleans Saints. At 3-3, the Chargers are falling behind in the AFC West with the 6-0 Kansas City Chiefs and 4-3 Denver Broncos sitting ahead of them. The Chargers need to start picking up some wins if they want to get into the Wild Card race.
