The Chargers fell to 7-4 after losing to the Ravens on Monday night.
After Week 12, let’s see where Los Angeles stands in NFL power rankings:
USA Today: 13 (Previous: 11)
“Detractors who might want to label them the Hoosiers of the NFL are eating no crow. A defense that hadn’t given up more than 20 points all season – albeit against questionable competition – has surrendered 57 at home over the past two weeks. It was also scorched for 212 yards on the ground Monday, the most ever for a Jim Harbaugh-coached team. Factor in RB J.K. Dobbins’ knee injury and … woof.”
NFL: 9 (Previous: 9)
“After a great start, the Chargers really struggled to contain the run game of the Ravens, namely Derrick Henry. Henry helped get the Ravens out of an early funk, and the Bolts helped Henry get going by missing several tackles, although they’re hardly the first team to struggle with that against Baltimore. Still, this has to worry Jim Harbaugh. His defense now has been taken apart a bit over the past six quarters against the Bengals and Ravens. But the problems weren’t relegated to the defense. The offense has plenty to worry about, starting with RB J.K. Dobbins’ knee injury. The Chargers just couldn’t get the ground attack going after he left, and Justin Herbert’s receivers let him down. Incredibly, all five starting offensive linemen were also flagged. Trey Pipkins’ hold offset a 27-yard pass interference on third-and-6 in a 23-16 game. Instead, the Chargers ended up punting, and Justice Hill cribbed it a few minutes later. No time for the Bolts to cry over the four-game win streak ending; they go to Atlanta and Kansas City over the next two Sundays.”
ESPN: 9 (Previous: 9)
Offense ranking: 15
Defense ranking: 15
Special teams ranking: 14
“By scoring metrics, the Chargers have the league’s best defense, allowing just 15.9 points per game. But that has come with the NFL’s easiest schedule, according to ESPN analytics. The Chargers’ offense has soared since a 23-16 win over the Broncos in Week 6 when quarterback Justin Herbert was fully recovered from a high ankle sprain. The offense’s ranking will likely continue to increase as the season progresses; Los Angeles ranks third in average in-game win probability.”
CBS Sports: 8 (Previous: 9)
“The top-ranked defense was exposed some in the loss to the Ravens. Now they have a tough road trip to face Atlanta, which is coming off a bye.”
Sports Illustrated: 9 (Previous: 9)
“With a relatively nonexistent pass rush and Lamar Jackson racking up almost all of his passing yards on extended plays, we have now seen just how far the Chargers have come and just how far they need to go. Wide receiver is still of desperate need, with Quentin Johnston reverting back to 2023 form on a couple of critical balls Monday.”
Bleacher Report: 9 (Previous: 10)
“The Chargers came into Monday looking for only their second win of the season against a playoff-caliber team—Denver being the only team they’ve beaten that is currently over .500. They appeared up to the challenge until J.K. Dobbins exited the game with a knee injury. L.A. made things somewhat interesting late, but they lost convincingly to the Ravens.
This is who the Chargers are in Year 1 under Jim Harbaugh. The future is bright, but Los Angeles is going to beat the teams it is supposed to and struggle against those we’re likely to see in late January. And if Dobbins is forced to miss extended time, L.A. might not even make it to the postseason.”