Tag: Chargers

The NFC South stands alone in the worst way possible

Every team in the NFC South has lost at least three games in a row after the Falcons fell to the Los Angeles Chargers. No other division can claim that:

The Atlanta Falcons’ loss to the Los Angeles Chargers extends their losing streak to three games. This now gives every member of the NFC South a three-game losing streak at some point in the season. The division is a mess from top to bottom — just check the latest standings.

No other division has achieved this in 2024. Matter of fact, there are five divisions with at least one team that has no more than three losses. The NFC North has three of them.

Until this week, the New Orleans Saints had owned the longest losing streak of the season. The Las Vegas Raiders took the mantle with their eighth consecutive loss.

The NFC South is the worst division in the NFL, and their only real rival is the AFC East. The advantage the latter has is the Buffalo Bills are one of the best teams in the league. The rest of the division is on par with the NFC South.

The problem is the NFC South doesn’t have that one team that stands out. The Buccaneers and Falcons are tied at the top of the division and don’t possess a winning record. Even with that low ceiling, the Saints and Panthers don’t seem like they have a chance. That’s the truest indictment of the division.

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NFL playoff picture: Bad week for Dolphins got worse on Sunday, Monday

Calais Campbell thinks 10-7 would get the Dolphins in the playoffs, but even that might not be enough.

Shortly after the Miami Dolphins lost to the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving to fall to 5-7 on the year, defensive lineman Calais Campbell told reporters, “I feel 10-7 gets us in” the playoffs. After Sunday and Monday, even that’s not looking likely.

The Dolphins have no shot at catching the Buffalo Bills, who clinched a fifth consecutive AFC East title. So the only path to the postseason for Miami is to track down at least one of four contenders: the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Los Angeles Chargers, and Denver Broncos.

The problem is that those teams aren’t leaving the door open.

While the Ravens lost a hard fought game against the Philadelphia Eagles, they’re still at eight wins. And both the Chargers and Broncos got their eighth win. The Steelers face several tough teams down the stretch, but improved to 9-3 with a shootout victory against the Bengals.

With only five weeks left, here’s the current state of affairs in the AFC:

  1. (x) Kansas City Chiefs: 11-1
  2. (y) Buffalo Bills: 10-2
  3. Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-3
  4. Houston Texans: 8-5
  5. Los Angeles Chargers: 8-4
  6. Baltimore Ravens: 8-5
  7. Denver Broncos: 8-5
  • Indianapolis Colts: 6-7
  • Miami Dolphins: 5-7
  • Cincinnati Bengals: 4-8

(x – clinched playoff berth; y – clinched division title)

In the hypothetical that the Dolphins won five straight to finish the year 10-7, they’d have an 8-5 record in AFC play. That would likely be enough to win a tiebreaker if any of the teams ahead of them slip up. But Miami will need to be perfect and get some help to get into the postseason.

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Game Balls: 5 standouts from Chargers’ clutch victory over Falcons

The Chargers defense carried the team to victory in Week 13, which included four interceptions off Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins.

The Chargers improved to 3-0 against the NFC South on Sunday with a narrow win over the Falcons. Los Angeles’ defense finished with four interceptions, a major difference in the comeback win.

Here were the team’s biggest standouts in the massive Week 13 victory that vaulted the Chargers to an 8-4 record:

CB Tarheeb Still

What a game for the rookie fifth-rounder. Still had the play of the game in the third quarter with a 61-yard pick six. It completely flipped the momentum in the game and gave the Chargers a 17-10 lead. Earlier in the game, he had another interception. Still was impressive in coverage throughout the day and has earned even more playing time moving forward.

S Derwin James

This was one of the best performances of the season from the star safety. He was all over the field in this contest with several timely plays. The three-time Pro Bowler finished with 10 total tackles, which included a huge tackle for loss on a 3rd-and-1. James clinched the win with a game-sealing interception, his first of the season and ninth of his career.

WR Ladd McConkey

McConkey is quite clearly the Chargers’ best weapon, and he proved that again on Sunday. The rookie caught a career-high nine passes, eight of them in the first half, for 117 yards. Perhaps even more impressively, McConkey continues to play through injuries. He’s quitely become one of the most valuable players on the team, as no other Charger finished with more than two catches.

Daiyan Henley

Henley has been an underrated part of this year’s stellar defense, and that continued on Sunday. He was all over the field and finished the day with 10 total tackles. The Chargers held the talented Falcons offense to just 13 points, and Henley was a huge part of that.

Cameron Dicker

Fans often don’t fully appreciate the advantage of having a reliable kicker. Sunday illustrated just how valuable it is, as it was a primary difference in the result of the game. Dicker went 3-for-3 on his field goal tries, while Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo missed a chip shot in the first half. Ultimately, these two were the difference in the Chargers leaving Atlanta with a win.

NFL playoff picture: What are Chargers’ chances of making postseason after win over Falcons?

The Chargers are in excellent position to play beyond the regular season.

The Chargers beat the Falcons on Sunday, improving their record to 8-4 and their chances of making the playoffs.

According to NFL.com, Los Angeles has a 94% chance of making the playoffs. With the Bolts’ win and the Ravens’ loss to the Eagles on Sunday, L.A. moved back up to the fifth seed.

Here’s a look at the division standings entering Week 14:

1. Chiefs (11-1)

2. Chargers (8-4)

3. Broncos (7-5)

4. Raiders (2-10)

And a look at the playoff picture:

*There are (7) available Playoff spots

1. Chiefs (11-1)

2. Bills (10-2)

3. Steelers (9-3)

4. Texans (8-5)

5. Chargers (8-4)

6. Ravens (8-5)

7. Broncos (7-5)

8. Colts (6-7)

9. Dolphins (5-7)

10. Bengals (4-8)

AFC playoff matchups if the season ended today:

  • No. 2 Bills vs. No. 7 Broncos
  • No. 3 Steelers vs. No. 6 Ravens
  • No. 4 Texans vs. No. 5 Chargers

Chargers PFF grades: Best, worst performers in Week 13 win over Falcons

Spotlighting Pro Football Focus’ highest and lowest-graded Chargers players from the win over the Falcons.

In Week 13, the Chargers defeated the Falcons, 17-13.

En route to victory, there were some standout performers and others who did not contribute as much.

That said, here are the best and worst performers from Sunday’s contest, according to Pro Football Focus’ player grades.

Top 5 Offense

OT Rashawn Slater — 88.4

QB Justin Herbert — 72.8

WR Ladd McConkey — 72.2

OT Trey Pipkins — 69.4

OL Bradley Bozeman — 68.5

Top 5 Defense

CB Tarheeb Still — 94.0

S Derwin James — 90.9

LB Daiyan Henley — 83.1

S Tony Jefferson — 83.0

EDGE Khalil Mack — 79.5

Bottom 5 Offense

OL Zion Johnson — 56.7

FB Tucker Fisk — 54.2

WR Jalen Reagor — 53.7

WR Derius Davis — 52.5

TE Will Dissly — 49.2

Bottom 5 Defense

DL Teair Tart — 55.2

EDGE Bud Dupree — 52.1

CB Kristian Fulton — 49.5

CB Ja’Sir Taylor — 48.1

DT Otito Ogbonnia — 28.8

Tarheeb Still steals show in Chargers’ win over Falcons: ‘Drug test that man’

The rookie out of Maryland was a ball magnet in Sunday’s victory over the Falcons.

On a day when the Chargers’ offense was a non-factor, the defense stepped up. While it was a collaborative effort, rookie cornerback Tarheeb Still was the biggest difference-maker en route to victory over the Falcons.

Still, the fifth-round pick out of Maryland, had three passes defended and two interceptions, including one that he returned for a 61-yard touchdown.

On the play where Still returned for a score, Darnell Mooney ran an out route. Kirk Cousins did not recognize the coverage, so he threw to Mooney. Still broke, jumped the route and housed it.

After Still’s dominant performance, Daiyan Henley said, “Drug test that man.”

What was said as a joke was actually a reality, as Still was randomly selected to be drug tested. He posted a picture of the slip on his locker on his Instagram story.

Los Angeles held Atlanta to just 13 points as they picked their eighth win of the season.

Chargers pull out gritty win over Falcons: Instant analysis of Week 13 victory

Here’s our recap of the Chargers’ gritty win over the Falcons behind a four-interception performance.

The Chargers defeated the Falcons on Sunday, improving to 8-4.

Here’s our recap of the Week 13 win.

It was over when…

Derwin James intercepted Kirk Cousins with 47 seconds remaining.

Notable number

Per AP Sports’ Joe Reedy, Ladd McConkey’s 105 yards are the most receiving yards by a Chargers rookie in the first half since 1991.

3 stars of the game

  1. WR Ladd McConkey: McConkey was the only productive player in the passing game. He finished the game with a season-high nine receptions for 117 yards.
  2. CB Tarheeb Still: The rookie out of Maryland was a ball magnet, finishing with two interceptions, including one he took back to the house for a touchdown.
  3. S Marcus Maye: This could’ve gone to Derwin James, who closed the game with a pick. But Maye, who was signed just this past week after being released by the Dolphins, had one in the end zone on the drive right before.

Quick hits

  • The Chargers’ offense was underwhelming. They failed to find the end zone the entire game, even on their two trips to the red zone.
  • Their only offensive points came from Cameron Dicker’s three made field goals.
  • The Chargers were 3-of-14 on third down. They had 187 yards of total offense.
  • The second-half offensive struggles continued. They only picked up two first downs on four drives.
  • The Falcons entered this game with one of the worst pressure rates, only having ten sacks. Atlanta flipped the switch, as they lived in the Chargers’ backfield. Justin Herbert was sacked five times.
  • Gus Edwards and Kimani Vidal combined for ten rushes, finishing with 5.3 and 5.0 yards per carry, respectively.
  • Aside from McConkey, the pass-catching group was lackluster. Quentin Johnston was the next productive receiver, with only 14 yards on two catches. Six pass catchers had just one catch.
  • The defense was why the Chargers came out of this game victorious. Jesse Minter’s unit combined for four interceptions, headlined by Still, who had two, one he returned for a score.
  • The run defense held its own, limiting a good backfield of Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier to 3.5 yards per carry.

What’s next?

The Chargers are on the road again to face the Chiefs next Sunday night, Dec. 8, at 5:20 pm PT.

Falcons lose due to multiple Kirk Cousins turnovers, keeping Saints’ hopes alive

The Falcons lost to the Chargers on Sunday due to multiple Kirk Cousins turnovers, keeping the Saints’ playoff hopes alive:

Don’t look now, but there might be a quarterback change on the horizon for the Atlanta Falcons. Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins threw the game away in their Sunday loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, who won 17-13, which teed up a fascinating scenario for the New Orleans Saints as they prepare for kickoff with the Los Angeles Rams. How did we get here?

Cousins played one of the worst games of his pro career, throwing four interceptions without a touchdown pass. One of those interceptions was credited to former Saints safety Marcus Maye, who arrived in Los Angeles just this week after being waived by the Miami Dolphins. Talk about making the most of your opportunity.

As for the implications on the NFC South? That remains to be seen, but for now the Saints are still in this. The Saints go into their game with the LA Rams at 4-7, trailing the Falcons (now at 6-6) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-6), who visit the upstart Carolina Panthers (3-8) this afternoon.

Everything depends on the Saints sending the Rams away from New Orleans with a loss, but at this point the division — and the coveted playoff berth — are within reach for Darren Rizzi’s team.

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Watch: Chargers S gets clutch pick 5 days after he was cut by Dolphins

To add salt in the wound, the clutch pick helped an AFC contender get a little further in front of the Dolphins.

Marcus Maye played 11 games with the Miami Dolphins and started three, but didn’t record any interceptions. He didn’t take long to make an impact with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Just a few days after he was claimed by the Chargers off waivers, and five days after he was cut loose by the Dolphins, Maye came up with a clutch fourth quarter interception in the end zone against the Atlanta Falcons to preserve a 17-13 lead for Los Angeles.

Maye, 31, signed a one-year deal with the Dolphins in June to be the primary backup behind starters Jevón Holland and Jordan Poyer. But with sixth-round rookie Patrick McMorris returning from injured reserve, the Dolphins waived the veteran Tuesday — presumably with the hope that he could be retained on the practice squad. Instead, he was scooped up by the Chargers.

Even worse for the Dolphins, his Week 13 interception contributed to the Chargers improving to 8-4 on the year. Los Angeles is one of four teams — along with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, or Denver Broncos — Miami can potentially track down if it hopes to keep its playoff hopes alive.

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Chargers highlight: Tarheeb Still’s second interception gives Los Angeles the lead

Tarheeb Still is on a tear.

Tarheeb Still is on a tear.

After intercepting Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins in the second quarter to give the Chargers some much-needed momentum, Still mostly watched Atlanta throw it to the other side of the field or run the ball.

That was a good strategy for the Falcons, who have continued to move the ball effectively against Jesse Minter’s defense. Atlanta put together another long drive late in the third quarter, driving with a 10-9 lead while converting a fourth down to take the ball over midfield.

The Chargers, meanwhile, had asked Ladd McConkey to be the entire offense. A normally dormant Falcons pass rush has sacked Justin Herbert four times, making things hard for LA all day.

Los Angeles needed a spark.

Still provided it when the Falcons went for a second fourth down of the drive, dropping back to pass on 4th-and-5 from the Chargers’ 40-yard line. Still and safety Marcus Maye confused Cousins on the coverage, giving the rookie a prime opportunity to jump a curl route and nearly walk into the end zone from 61 yards away.

The Chargers went for two after that. Justin Herbert fired a strike over the middle to Joshua Palmer, making it 17-10 Chargers with 1:39 left in the third quarter.