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The Chargers nearly dug themselves out of the early hole they dug themselves to beat the Houston Texans on Saturday, but ultimately fell short 20-16. The final point differential also being a direct reflection of the points kicker Cameron Dicker left on the field by missing both a field goal and his first extra point of the 2025 season.
It was tough-fought and gritty game by Justin Herbert, but once again the deficiencies along the offensive line were just too much to overcome. The Bolts fell to 11-5 on the year and are expected to rest a number of their starters in Week 18 against the Broncos.
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The focus is now solely on the playoffs and their eventual opponent in the wild card round.
With that said, let’s go ahead and see where they landed amongst the rankings this week.
CBS Sports – #11
‘‘They blew their chance to win the AFC West by losing at home to the Texans. The offensive line is going to kill this team in the playoffs.” – Pete Prisco
ESPN – #11
“Heartbreak has become familiar enough for this franchise that fans have given it a name: “Chargering.” This season has followed script as it has been marred by a run of almost comically poor luck. Both star tackles suffered season-ending injuries, and the first-round rookie spent seven weeks on IR. In Saturday’s loss — a game that could have put the Chargers in position to win the AFC West for the first time in 16 seasons — Cameron Dicker, the most accurate kicker in NFL history, missed a field goal and an extra point. The Chargers lost by four. Moments like that make the question unavoidable.” – Kris Rhim
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Sporting News – #11
“The Chargers went into Dallas and used it for a get-well offensive game with more juice from their defense, too. Justin Herbert needed that and so did Jim Harbaugh.” – Vinnie Iyer
Yahoo Sports – #11
“This is nothing new, but the Chargers are going to have a tough time beating teams in the playoffs that rush the passer well. The Texans, Broncos and Steelers are all in the NFL’s top six in sacks, so those would be treacherous matchups. The Texans sacked Justin Herbert five times in their win over the Chargers on Saturday. It’s tough because the Chargers have a great head coach, great quarterback, top-10 defense and great talent around Herbert. But the injured offensive line is likely the fatal flaw.” – Frank Schwab
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The Athletic – #11
“After a good-but-not-great performance from Justin Herbert (21-of-32, 236 yards, one touchdown, one interception), who was admittedly under heavy pressure, Jim Harbaugh said this about his quarterback: “I think he’s the best there ever was.” That’s a wild statement from anyone else, but in this case, it’s just Harbaugh being Harbaugh. If Herbert can get this team to a Super Bowl despite facing the second-highest pressure rate in the league (42.3 percent), maybe Harbaugh will have a case.” – Josh Kendall
USA Today – #11
“The Chargers’ offensive line remained a fatal flaw in Week 17 against the Texans. A date with the Broncos’ top-two pressure rate remains in Week 18, and four top-15 pass rushes will be waiting on the AFC side of the playoff bracket. Justin Herbert is going to have to be superhuman to get LA’s first playoff win since 2018, and that may not even be enough.” – Nate Davis
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Bleacher Report – #11
“The Los Angeles Chargers are headed to the postseason, but they may also be headed to an early exit for the second straight year.”
“Los Angeles’ biggest issue is a banged-up offensive line. The Chargers have struggled to protect Justin Herbert and to move the ball consistently on the ground. It cost them in a Week 17 loss that ended any hope of a division title.”
“Recent wins over the Eagles and Chiefs show that L.A. can be a serious threat, but winning with a bad offensive line in January is extremely difficult.” – Kristopher Knox
Pro Football Talk – #11
They still have a lot of work to do to get to where they want to be.” – Mike Florio
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