Chargers Week 4 Power Rankings Roundup

After a huge road win over the Chiefs on Sunday, analysts and reporters alike have taken note of the Chargers’ latest accomplishment and have updated their various power rankings accordingly.

Unsurprisingly, the Bolts see a massive jump across the media landscape with one publication actually ranking them within the top-five teams in the NFL. That’s massive, but also a little knee-jerk, if you ask me. A top-10 team? Of course. They’ve played extremely well against three teams tabbed to make the postseason this year and a winning record is a winning record.

So how did the rest of the media landscape shake out? Let’s take a look.

Bleacher Report - #5

“Sunday’s trip to Arrowhead was a big game for the Los Angeles Chargers. Lose a second straight game, and the Bolts would fall to 1-2 and again look the part of an also-ran in the division. Notch an upset victory, on the other hand, and it would be the Chiefs who fell to 1-2 and the AFC West would be blown wide open.”

“That second one happened.”

“Offensively, Justin Herbert outplayed Patrick Mahomes, throwing for 281 yards and four scores. Wide receiver Mike Williams continued his torrid start to the season, hauling in a pair of TD passes, including the game-winner with 32 seconds left.”

“Defensively, Los Angeles was all up in Mahomes’ business, sacking him twice, harassing him consistently and picking him off two times. It was an outstanding all-around effort that cemented the Bolts as legitimate contenders in the AFC.” - Gary Davenport

USA Today - #9

“‘We’re fortunate we have a gangster quarterback,’ new Bolts coach Brandon Staley said of Justin Herbert after Sunday’s win at Kansas City. OK, sure, Coach. But for context, Herbert’s the same guy who founded a fishing club in high school.” - Nate Davis

ESPN - #9

“Justin Herbert was terrific on Sunday versus the Chiefs, completing 26 of 38 passes for 281 yards and four touchdowns with zero turnovers. He had a better completion percentage in a loss against Dallas the week before, but turnovers and penalties took two touchdowns away. Everything indicates his numbers will continue to grow. He has completed 69.8% of his passes through three games. “We are fortunate enough to have a gangster quarterback,” coach Brandon Staley said. Herbert took his team through two crucial fourth-down plays on the final drive of Sunday’s win in Kansas City and didn’t blink. “We want to put the ball in Justin Herbert’s hand and have him be the decider,” Staley emphasized.” — Shelley Smith

New York Post - #9

“Taking a page from Baltimore’s book, first-year coach Brandon Staley understood it’s aggressive-or-bust against the Chiefs. He passed up a 48-yard field goal, Justin Herbert converted a fourth down by penalty and the Chargers beat the Chiefs for the third time in six meetings, which is as often as anyone can hope for these days.” - Ryan Dunleavy

Sporting News - #9

“The Chargers looking good overall with McVay disciple Brandon Staley shouldn’t surprise anyone. They have young gun QB Justin Herbert operating well in a skilled new-look offense and the defense is making enough big plays as it should. They are the Chiefs’ true challengers in the AFC West over the undefeated Raiders and Broncos.” - Vinnie Iyer

NFL.com - #10

“Brandon Staley is in love with his quarterback. Can you blame him? For the second straight week, the Chargers’ head coach made a point to call Justin Herbert the best player on the field, this time after Herbert powered the Bolts to a dramatic 30-24 win over the Chiefs in Arrowhead. It’s not lip service by Staley, either: On multiple occasions Sunday, Staley opted to keep his offense on the field rather than settle for sensible field-goal attempts. It was a tacit acknowledgement of Patrick Mahomes’ greatness, sure, but also a showing of supreme faith in his own guy. The Chargers converted first downs in each instance. The football world is quickly learning what Staley and the Power Rankings already knew: Justin Herbert Is A Savage In The Pocket.” - Dan Hanzus

Pro Football Network - #11

“The Chargers have been impressive enough to land in the top 10 of the NFL Power Rankings in Week 4. They probably should have looked better against Washington, especially given the Football Team’s subsequent performance. Yet, Week 1 was weird for a lot of NFL teams, so we’ll let LA’s opening performance go a bit. The Chargers have faced three teams that were considered playoff contenders before the season, and they’ve competed in each game.”

“On Sunday, Los Angeles went toe to toe against the Kansas City Chiefs. They got up early thanks to some timely turnovers and were able to hold onto momentum late in the game. On the other hand, the Chargers allowed 33 first downs on defense, well above the NFL average of 20.9 per game.”

“They’re struggling to stop the run. Teams are averaging 5.8 yards per carry against them so far in 2021. While that’s far from a death sentence, it’s something to monitor because it can easily take the ball out of Justin Herbert’s hands.” - Dalton Miller

Yahoo Sports - #12

“The Chargers made mistake after mistake despite plaguing Patrick Mahomes into a slew of turnovers. Somehow they found a way to win at Kansas City. This was a buzz team coming into the year, and the Bolts are exciting. Brandon Staley needs to fix the self-destructing motion penalties. Next: vs. Las Vegas Raiders” - Barry Werner

Washington Post - #13

“That was some odd clock management by Coach Brandon Staley and the Chargers, for sure. But it all worked out just fine for a major road victory over the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Maybe the Chargers are ready to be a legitimate playoff contender in QB Justin Herbert’s second NFL season. Maybe they’re not quite there yet. But it will be interesting to watch either way.” - Mark Maske