Are the LA Chargers Contenders or Pretenders?
By the time Justin Herbert threw his first interception in exactly three months late in the third quarter, the Los Angeles Chargers second half against Tampa Bay had already begun unraveling into a nightmare. The Chargers never woke up from it in the Buccaneers’ 40-17 victory on Sunday. Los Angeles was left reeling after a day that started with promise but fell apart spectacularly down the stretch, mirroring a few of their seasons in recent years. “You go through a game like this, and it’s tough,” Herbert said postgame. “We got beat badly, and we have to do everything we can to learn from it and not let this one affect our next one.”
After leading 17-13 at halftime, the Chargers hit the lowest point of their largely encouraging first season under coach Jim Harbaugh with their third loss in four games. Los Angeles was dismantled after halftime by Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers, who scored the final 30 points in this showdown between ostensible playoff contenders. The NFL’s top-ranked scoring defense gave up season-highs of 40 points and 506 yards to Tampa Bay. Mayfield shredded the Bolts’ secondary for 288 yards and four touchdowns, while Tampa Bay’s running game was equally dominant, piling up 223 yards on 39 carries. The Buccaneers scored on eight of their first 10 possessions and never had to punt.
The Chargers hadn’t been handled this decisively all season long. “I feel like we didn’t get it done today on defense,” safety Derwin James said. “They punched us in the mouth, and we didn’t stop the run and the pass, or really anything. We didn’t stop anything today. We just need to clean it up on our end as a secondary. I feel like this was one of our worst games as a secondary, completely.”
Los Angeles gave up more than 500 total yards and 200 rushing yards in a game for only the seventh time in franchise history. It marked the third occurrence in the past four seasons, including a 2021 game against Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns, which the Chargers won in a 47-42 shootout. “When a team rushes for 200 yards on you, that’s something that doesn’t sit right with me,” linebacker Khalil Mack said. “It’s just frustrating.”
The effort was profoundly out of character for Chargers coordinator Jesse Minter’s defense, which had been remarkably effective all season. Los Angeles held its first nine opponents this year to 20 points or fewer, but three of its past five foes have now scored at least 30 points. “They’ve played almost perfectly all year, and it’s tough,” Herbert said of his defense. Offensively, the Chargers fared no better, managing only 64 yards after halftime and failing to score in the final 37 minutes. The running game sputtered without injured J.K. Dobbins, while Herbert—hobbling on an injured ankle—struggled to find success with limited options at the skill positions.
Herbert’s interception-free streak ended in the third quarter, an indignity that punctuated the team’s struggles. Los Angeles trailed 23-17 when Herbert, under duress near his goal line, launched a long pass off his back foot. Tampa Bay’s Jamel Dean intercepted the pass after Chargers receiver Quentin Johnston fell while tracking the overthrown ball. The interception ended Herbert’s streak of 357 pass attempts, the fifth-longest in NFL history.
Herbert and his teammates emphasized the importance of moving on quickly from this game. The Denver Broncos visit SoFi Stadium on Thursday night in a pivotal game for both teams’ playoff aspirations. Los Angeles edged Denver 23-17 in their first meeting in October, jumping out to a 23-point lead before holding on late. That tenacity was notably absent against Tampa Bay. “Next week is a must-win game, the most important game of our season,” James said. “I can’t wait to get ready and prepare for it. Just wasn’t our day today.”
