Chargers Week 8 Power Rankings Roundup

The Chargers were off this past week but that doesn’t mean they would completely avoid the repercussions stemming from week seven’s slate of games.

The Raiders’ big win over the Eagles and the Bengals’ domination over the Ravens were two games that certainly stirred the pot regarding the NFL’s top-10 teams.

Overall, the Chargers saw minimal movement across most power rankings. Go ahead and check out their rankings below and let me know what you think the comments.

Pro Football Network - #7

“I’m so glad the Los Angeles Chargers are legitimate contenders this early into Justin Herbert’s tenure as the franchise quarterback. The powder blue has always been an offseason darling, but it very rarely translated into success outside of that.”

“If you’re starting a franchise today, there are only a select few quarterbacks you’d even consider above Herbert. They’ll be one of the best teams in the NFL if they can make some slight improvements in the offseason.”

“The Chargers don’t have a particularly difficult schedule leading up to the Bengals in Week 13. There’s a very good chance they slowly rise in the NFL Power Rankings after returning from their bye.” - Dalton Miller

Sports Illustrated - #9

“The loss to the Ravens lingers, but I wouldn’t bet against Brandon Staley after a week of self scouting. This is especially true given the Chargers’ soft schedule from here on out, which features just two teams—the Raiders and the Bengals—with winning records. Even if you toss the Chiefs into the mix, this isn’t anything to flinch at.” - Conor Orr

NFL.com - #9

“OK, so Justin Herbert stunk up the joint two Sundays ago in Baltimore, as did the rest of his Chargers teammates in a game to forget. The question becomes this: Was it simply a bad week — or do teams now have a playbook on how to stop the Bolts? The Chargers’ offense could use improvement in early-down situations. More work is needed on the defensive side, which is surprising, considering Brandon Staley’s pedigree upon taking this head-coaching job. Los Angeles ranked 19th in defensive DVOA heading into Monday Night Football and is one of the worst teams in football against the run. The Chargers are good — potentially great — but they remain under construction.” - Dan Hanzus

Fansided - #9

“The Bolts looked like one of the better teams in the AFC after five weeks. But Brandon Staley’s club was humbled last Sunday at Baltimore as the Chargers’ offense managed just one touchdown and the team finished with 208 total yards in the 34-6 setback. In any case, second-year quarterback Justin Herbert continues to impress for the most part and the team has learned to win games that they somehow found a way to lose most of last season.” - Russell S. Baxter

ESPN - #10

“On the contrary, they’ve improved early in the season despite four new starters and injuries. Center Corey Linsley, a free-agent addition from Green Bay, runs the show and first-round rookie Rashawn Slater owns the left side. Free-agent guard Oday Aboushi tore his ACL, but Michael Schofield III has filled in well. After struggling early, Storm Norton has been playing better at right tackle after having to replace injured veteran Bryan Bulaga. Their chemistry continues to get better as they provide more time for QB Justin Herbert than he got a year ago. Linsley says of his connection with Herbert: ‘His leadership is fantastic.’”- Shelley Smith

CBS Sports - #10

“The Chargers had two weeks to stew over their poor showing against the Ravens. Now they get the Patriots at home, which will be fun seeing Justin Herbert against Bill Belichick.” - Pete Prisco

New York Post - #10

“The Chiefs’ struggles are very real and mean the AFC West is open for the taking by the Chargers or the Raiders. The Chargers are coming off a bye with the fifth-easiest remaining schedule (opponents’ winning percentage .427), according to Tankathon.com. One thing that needs to be cleaned up is a NFL-worst 162.5 yards per game allowed on the ground.” - Ryan Dunleavy

USA Today - #10

“Last time they hosted Patriots in Los Angeles, New England won 45-0. We’ll assume a better outcome this Sunday at SoFi.” - Nate Davis

Sporting News - #11

“The Chargers bolted into their bye after a disappointing all-around performance at Baltimore. They can do plenty of damage with Justin Herbert leading their passing game and with a solid pass defense, but they need to clean up their league-worst run defense to maintain their playoff chances.” - Vinnie Iyer