Bolts From The Blue
The Chargers had seemingly dozens things go wrong against the New York Giants and that ultimately led to their first loss of the season in a 21-18 decision. Left tackle Joe Alt is likely to miss multiple weeks with an ankle injury and without him, only a higher power can save Herbert from the potential wave of abuse he’s about to receive from opposing defensive fronts.
If the Chargers can somehow manage to stay afloat while Alt and edge rusher Khalil Mack work their way back from injuries, they will still have a chance to compete in both the AFC and the AFC West. If they can’t, this year could quickly turn into a wash.
Let’s hope that’s not the case.
With that said, here’s where the Chargers landed in this week’s power rankings across the media.
ESPN – #5
“Sunday was a continuation of the norm for these Chargers, who have struggled to protect Justin Herbert all season. The Giants recorded a pass rush win rate of 68% against the Chargers, which was New York’s highest single-game mark since the metric was introduced in 2017. Herbert has been hit 47 times this season, which ranks second in the NFL. It’s difficult to see this line improving anytime soon since left tackle Joe Alt left Sunday’s game heavily limping in a walking boot.” – Kris Rhim
Pro Football Talk – #6
“The slide could continue, if Joe Alt misses many games.” – Mike Florio
USA Today – #7
“If Sunday was indicative of how things could go without starting OTs Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, then QB Justin Herbert and Co. could be in some significant trouble.” – Nate Davis
Sporting News – #7
“The Chargers made too many mistakes in the passing game with Justin Herbert to be handed a tough hiccup on the road vs. Jaxson Dart sparking the Giants. They need to clean up the offense fast to outscore the Commanders on the road next week.” -Vinnie Iyer
NFL.com – #8
“Losing to the Giants was tough enough for the Chargers, but the Joe Alt ankle injury added a good squeeze of lemon juice into their open wounds. Los Angeles hadn’t protected Justin Herbert well enough before Alt’s injury — remember, this line lost Pro Bowl LT Rashawn Slater to a torn patellar tendon in August — so this is a major concern for however long the stud tackle is out. The Bolts had no shot of keeping Herbert clean after Austin Deculus replaced Alt, and they might have to consider outside options to keep this season going on the right track. They made it a 21-18 game late in the third quarter but did nothing on their final three possessions, ultimately losing by that same score. With 14 penalties and two Herbert picks, it was a day to forget — and a serious blow to L.A.’s credentials.” – Eric Edholm
CBS Sports – #8
*“Losing to a rookie quarterback making his first NFL start is not...
