Despite the loss, the Chargers actually saw a rise in this week’s power rankings thanks to losses by the Commanders and Steelers.
The Chargers put up a good fight against a perennial AFC contender but ultimately fell short against the efforts of two guys who may end up making the First-Team All-Pro squad at the end of the season.
Los Angeles is still 7-4 and in charge of their playoff destiny. Next Sunday is a date in Atlanta with the 6-5 Falcons.
Let’s go ahead and see where the team’s latest win has them positioned in this week’s power rankings.
CBS Sports – #8
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. – Pete Prisco
NFL.com – #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.
Sports Illustrated – #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.” – Conor Orr
Yahoo Sports – #9
J.K. Dobbins’ knee injury might be bad news for the Chargers, who already had some depth issues at running back. The Chargers’ offense, which obviously wanted to run at the Ravens without their star LB Roquan Smith, changed without Dobbins. That’s an injury to watch. – Frank Schwab
The Athletic – #9
The Chargers didn’t allow an opponent to top 20 points in the first 10 weeks of the season. Cincinnati and Baltimore have each gone over 26 in the last two weeks. They still lead the league in scoring defense (15.9 ppg allowed), but they still have something to prove against elite offenses if they want to be a real contender. The Ravens rushed for 214 yards Monday night, and the Chargers had only 70. – Josh Kendall
ESPN – #9
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. – Kris Rhim
Pro Football Talk – #11
Jim Harbaugh still can’t beat his big brother. – Mike Florio
USA Today – #13
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. – Nate Davis