The Chargers were truly this close to finally earning their first win of the 2026 season and they nearly managed to do it against a divisional opponent.
The Chargers held a seven-point lead several minutes into the fourth quarter. Every ounce of momentum they had seemed to get flipped on its head the moment Jim Harbaugh’s fourth-down risk failed, however. With roughly 10 and a half minutes left in regulation, the Chargers’s quarterback sneak attempt was stuff and the Broncos took over at the Chargers 41-yard line.
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From there, Denver scored 13 unanswered points and basically played the remainder of the game inside Chargers territory. Justin Herbert and the offense turned it over two more times on consecutive drives to help turbo the fourth-quarter collapse.
Even with such a cataclysmic ending, the Chargers still came away with an average “C” grade for their performance from CBS Sports’ John Breech.
Here’s what he had to say:
“It’s official: The Chargers offense looks broken. You can blame it on Mike McDaniel or you can blame it on the rash of injuries, but whatever the reason, this team just can’t do anything on offense. This week, the Chargers were forced to play without starting left tackle Rashawn Slater, and it showed. Justin Herbert barely had time to breath in this game. Every time he dropped back to pass, the Broncos were on him, which led to five sacks (Herbert only threw for 121 yards). It seems almost impossible to believe that this team made the playoffs last year, because, at the rate things are going, they might be eliminated from the playoff race before we get to December this year.“
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Is this the correct grade for the Chargers? Should the fourth-quarter debacle have earned them a worse mark? Let us know below.
And now for today’s links.
Jim Harbaugh took the blame for his failed fourth-down decision (Chargers.com)
Check out the game recap from Sunday’s loss to the Broncos (Chargers.com)
Jim Harbaugh had a three-word message for his team after losing to the Broncos (Chargers Wire)
Five takeaways from Chargers-Broncos (Bolt Beat)
The Ravens beat the Falcons in overtime on Sunday Night Football (ESPN)
Letter grades handed out to teams following their Week Five games (CBS Sports)
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What we learned from Sunday’s slate of NFL games (NFL.com)
David Bailey had three sacks against the Browns (Pro Football Talk)
Mike Evans showed exactly why the 49ers signed him in their win over the Seahawks (Sports Illustrated)
Marvin Harrison Jr. was officially traded to the Texans on Sunday (Bleacher Report)
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