While they’re certainly not out, the Chargers playoff hopes diminish thanks to Davante Adams — I mean, the Raiders. Well, really, it’s thanks to the Bolts backup O-lineman, who simply failed their assignment today. But even still, if it weren’t for Davante Adams doing Davante Adams things – the Chargers very likely could’ve won this game, and remained alive and healthy in the playoff hunt.
This one hurts. A lot. And yet, at the same time, a huge part of it – like the rest of the season – has been due to… you guessed it, injuries. Herbert can actually sit back in the pocket and go to town if Linsley, Slater, Feiler, and Pipkins are out. Conversely, Derek Carr doesn’t have all day to throw if Joey Bosa is in there. And that’s the moral of the story for today’s heartbreaker:
Derek Carr had time to throw, and Justin Herbert didn’t.
Thus, the Chargers lost. They put up a decent fight — given the injuries — but sometimes, fight just isn’t enough; especially when you shoot yourself in the foot a couple of times. As per usual, those self-inflicted wounds come up crucial – and in this case, they surely did…
Mistake # 1: Austin Ekeler Fumble
It pains me to point the finger at Austin Ekeler, given the amount of heart, effort, and production that he gives to this team. But, a mistake is a mistake. We all make them – and that by no means makes him a bad player. But one could argue that it cost the Chargers the game. It sucks, but it’s just that simple…
Aside from the base-level implication of turning the ball over to the other team – this fumble literally translated to a touchdown on the next play. Sure, Ekeler didn’t exactly cause the touchdown – but that’s the way the cookie crumbled. And on the figurative side of things – this play proved to be the one that swung the momentum in the Raiders favor, and they never looked back…
Mistake #2: Brandon Staley’s Decision-Making
Sure, it’s easy to love it when it works – like last week with the game-winning 2-point conversion against the Cardinals; but the reality of the gamble comes to light when it doesn’t… more often than not. It’s easy to look at the incredible 4th and 12 which was converted into a beautiful touchdown pass to Keenan Allen – but you can’t bank on plays like that. It’s like betting on the massive underdog, then using that as your strategy every week. You’re going to wind up broke, and it looks like the Chargers are now, too.
There was another fake punt play which was fun to watch – but that’s all this strategy is: entertaining. After the Chargers forced fumble against Josh Jacobs, Brandon Staley decided to go for it, when the offense hadn’t been doing anything all game. They got 0 points on a turnover rather than 3. Sure, if you add it up, it would’ve only been 3 (or 6) points of a difference if Staley plays it safe – but the more and more the Chargers continue to lose; this strategy isn’t working…
Mistake #3: Abandoning the Run Game
Stick with me on this one – I was watching the same game as the rest of us. The run game was by no means “ultra effective” or even game-changing; but the imbalance of the Chargers offense is mind-blowing. I get it – you have Justin Herbert, who is a generational passer – but you also have Austin Ekeler and a much improved Joshua Kelley. Sure, the Chargers were only getting 2-3 yards a carry, but so do a lot of running backs… until they break a big one. But they can’t do that if you don’t give them the chance.
And not just that, but this mistake applies to Justin Herbert, too. I know, he’s no Lamar Jackson — or even Kyler Murray; but he is comparable to Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes – who scramble for clutch runs on a weekly basis. To be honest, Herbert looked scared back there, and it scared me. Because we Bolt fans all saw last year against the Steelers what Herbert can do on the ground when he’s confident. Instead, we saw what we used to see with Phillip Rivers – a quarterback that freezes and crumbles.
Conclusion
All in all, despite the loss, there were some great performances – including a stamp of improvement from Josh Palmer. Joshua Kelley had some bright moments, too. And Gerald Everett is beginning to look more and more like a viable TE1. However, a loss is a loss. Furthermore, a loss is more than a loss when it makes a playoff birth that much further. We all saw what happened last year – a late push that wasn’t enough.
This year, it’s looking like us Chargers fans will see a repeat – as the Chargers are by no means eliminated, but it’s going to take a lot of luck to make something happen. Luckily enough, the Chargers lost when the Jets (7-5) and the Patriots (6-6) did as well – so they’re technically very much so still alive, but with Tua, Tyreek, and Waddle coming next week; the Chargers needed this one.
For those of us on the West Coast, we heard Adam Archuleta commentating over and over, “this is a make or break game for the Chargers” – and while I continued to scoff and mock throughout the game… it turns out he was right. I’m already preparing for another season that ends up depending on the last game of the year to decide the playoff fate; and the first game I’ll look back to if the Chargers don’t get it, is this one…