The Chargers were as close as they have been all year to earning their first win this past Sunday. Five takeaways by the defense usually means victory is assured. Yet somehow, that wasn’t the case by the time the clock hit zero at Highmark Stadium.
When it was all said and done, the Chargers held a +4 advantage in the turnover battle while still leaving on the wrong end of a 24-16 result. The offense scored just 10 points off those five turnovers which was nowhere near enough cushion to hold off the Bills
by the time they got their act together.
Understandably so, that debacle has led to the Chargers dropping even further down this week’s NFL power rankings.
Let’s check out how bad the damage is.
CBS Sports – #24
“They played in desperation mode on the road against the Bills, and it still wasn’t good enough. The schedule is brutal, and a 0-9 start is possible.” – Pete Prisco
Sports Illustrated – #27
“Column on the Chargers, who should be investigated for wire fraud.” – Conor Orr
ESPN – #27
“Expectations were high for the 2025 first-round pick, given how running backs have thrived with OC Mike McDaniel at other stops. But Hampton has been a disappointment so far. He was the 12th running back in ADP, but his 31 points ranks 22nd. Hampton also saw a decreased workload in Week 3 after struggles in his first two weeks. As the Chargers move forward, this could become more of a split backfield with Hampton and Keaton Mitchell, who averaged 6.5 yards per carry to Hampton’s 3.7 in Buffalo.” — Kris Rhim
Sporting News – #29
‘‘The Chargers were more active defensively to turn over the Bills multiple times. But Jim Harbaugh saw more awful offense with Justin Herbert failing to stop his own giveaway woes. They, like the Texans, are straight-up bad at this point.” – Vinnie Iyer
Pro Football Talk – #29
“Justin Herbert has replaced Joe Burrow as the ‘veteran QB most likely to change teams in 2027.”’ – Mike Florio
USA Today – #29
“The last time they were 0-3 was 2017, when Philip Rivers was the quarterback, and the team was playing in a suburban L.A. soccer stadium. The more things change …” – Nate Davis
Bleacher Report – #29
“The Los Angeles Chargers are completely lost. An 0-3 start has them swimming for a life raft with one unlikely to appear since the Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs are next on the docket.”
“Surprisingly, the Chargers’ biggest disconnect can be found on offense, where quarterback Justin Herbert isn’t executing Mike McDaniel’s offensive scheme.”
“This past offseason, McDaniel’s hire was viewed as one of the league’s best, because he brought a proven track record as a play-caller. Instead, the Chargers are in disarray, Herbert is playing poorly and the unit ranks among the league’s bottom-feeders in total offense.” — Brent Sobleski
The Athletic – #29
“This was supposed to be Justin Herbert’s year. (Or was that last year? It’s hard to keep up.) The Chargers’ two heralded tackles aren’t playing great, and they’re having to start a rookie at center, but this is Year 7 for Herbert, who has more interceptions than touchdowns (4-to-3) and the third-worst passer rating in the league (73.4). Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel was supposed to fix this, but it hasn’t happened yet, and the Seahawks, Broncos, Chiefs and Rams are next.” – Chad Graff and Josh Kendall
