GLENDALE, Ariz. —
Jim Harbaugh paced the sideline together with his arms on his hips. He stomped on the grass at State Farm Area because the Arizona Cardinals ran the clock down. The Chargers head coach had no different solutions.
The Chargers’ top-ranked protection folded in essentially the most crucial second, dropping 17-15 to the Arizona Cardinals on Monday because the Cardinals (3-4) simply moved into area objective place within the last two minutes.
Chargers rookie cornerback Cam Hart was known as for pointless roughness whereas breaking apart a second-down move with 1:51 remaining, shifting the Cardinals to their 45-yard line.
After catching a brief move, Cardinals working again James Conner ran by two tackles on the subsequent play, stretching what ought to have been a modest acquire right into a 33-yard back-breaker.
Chad Ryland kicked the game-winning area objective 5 performs later as time expired.
The Cardinals’ solely kick of the evening simply overpowered the Chargers’ spotty offense that solely mustered 5 kicks from Cameron Dicker. The 24-year-old had a career-long 59-yard area objective and a 50-yard boot as the primary half expired and gave the Chargers a 15-14 lead with 1:54 remaining on a 40-yard kick.
Quarterback Justin Herbert threw for a season-best 349 yards on 27-for-39 passing, however the Chargers had been held to only 60 yards dashing in 22 carries.
With receivers Quentin Johnston (ankle), Derius Davis (hamstring) and D.J. Chark Jr. (groin) out, the Chargers had been trying to find any offensive weapon to enrich Herbert. He accomplished passes to 10 receivers, however not all had been able to catch the passes he laced by tight home windows.
The Chargers’ Justin Herbert (10) is sacked the Cardinals’ Ben Stille (90).
(Ross D. Franklin / Related Press)
Ladd McConkey, certainly one of Herbert’s most dependable gamers, had two drops within the first half because the Chargers trailed 7-6. Tight finish Stone Smartt snagged a move for 31 yards within the third quarter, shifting the Chargers into Cardinals territory, however the drive stalled when Smartt and fellow tight finish Will Dissly dropped passes on consecutive performs.
Receiver Jalen Reagor, who was promoted from the observe squad Monday partially to function a punt returner for the injured Davis, was three yards away from his first landing since 2022 when Cardinals cornerback Starling Thomas V chopped the ball free on the Chargers’ first offensive drive.
The ball bounced contained in the pylon and out of the tip zone to provide possession to the Cardinals. After his 42-yard reception ended with the Cardinals offense on the sphere, Reagor, a 2020 first-round decide by the Philadelphia Eagles, grasped the edges of his helmet with each arms in disbelief.
It was the second fumble the Chargers misplaced within the first two drives. Chargers defensive lineman Teair Tart intercepted a tipped move on the Cardinals’ first offensive drive, however Conner stripped the ball on Tart’s return try and Arizona recovered.
The miscues contributed to the Chargers’ first scoreless first quarter of the season regardless of Herbert finishing his first eight passes.
