The easiest way to explain the Chargers’ 30-23 loss Monday night to the Baltimore Ravens was that their defense was exposed at long last. Good against the Saints, Browns, Titans, etc., was one thing. Good against the Ravens was something else entirely, as we saw at SoFi Stadium.
Here’s what else we learned, what we heard and what comes next after the Chargers failed to contain the Ravens’ explosive offense on the ground and also through the the air and their four-game winning streak came to a crashing halt in Harbaugh Bowl III:
REALITY BITES
The Chargers missed linebacker Denzel Perryman, who sat out because of a groin injury. Perryman and Daiyan Henley have emerged as the heart and soul of the Chargers’ interior defense. They have been good against the run and in pass-rushing situations.
Perryman’s absence wasn’t an excuse for the way the Ravens shredded the Chargers’ top-ranked defense on the ground (212 yards on 37 carries for an average of 5.7 yards per attempt) or through the air (with Lamar Jackson completing 16 of 22 passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns). But it might have been one reason.
Troy Dye started in place of Perryman, and the Chargers simply weren’t the same as in their first 10 games of the season. No question, the Ravens played a significant role in what transpired. Jackson and running back Derrick Henry (140 yards on 24 carries) picked apart the Chargers.
Outside linebacker Khalil Mack returned to the starting lineup after sitting out the Chargers’ victory Nov. 17 over the Cincinnati Bengals because of a groin injury. Mack was credited with four tackles, but neither he nor Joey Bosa nor Tuli Tuipulotu nor Bud Dupree pressured Jackson sufficiently.
Mack played only 28 of 65 defensive snaps.
Bosa, rounding into form after suffering a hip injury, played 38 of 65 snaps.
Safety Derwin James Jr. was credited with the only sack of Jackson.
“It’s one game,” Chargers defensive lineman Morgan Fox said. “At the end of the day, we’re a resilient team. We’ve been playing well. We’re going to bounce back and figure out how we’re going to get better. Go back, look at the film, fix what we can fix and be prepared to play another good team.”
AGGRESSIVE RAVENS
The Ravens were 3 for 3 on fourth-down conversions, including one from their own 16-yard line with two minutes remaining in the first half, with the Chargers leading 10-7. Baltimore tight end Mark Andrews took a direct snap and crashed forward for a 2-yard gain and a first down.
Baltimore then completed an eight-play, 93-yard drive with Jackson throwing a 40-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Rashod Bateman for a 14-10 lead with 24 seconds left in the half. The Ravens never trailed again and never seemed to be in serious jeopardy with the ball in their hands.
“We knew what we were going to get, and that’s the frustrating part about it,” Mack said. “We didn’t want to give up 200 yards rushing. I think that’s the thing that (ticks) me off the most. Just got to get it corrected and get ready for the next one (next Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons).”
DOBBINS’ INJURY
Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins gained 40 yards on six carries, an average of 6.7 yards per attempt, before he was forced from the game in the second quarter because of a knee injury. Coach Jim Harbaugh didn’t have an update on Dobbins’ injury or his status for Sunday’s game against the Falcons.
“I don’t know what degree, what amount,” Harbaugh said.
Dobbins and Gus Edwards have given new life to the Chargers’ ground game after arriving from the Ravens via free agency during the offseason. Dobbins has rushed for 766 yards and eight touchdowns on 158 carries in 11 games so far, Replacing him could be a chore.
JOHNSTON’S STRUGGLES
No one had a tougher game than Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston, who had several drops among the five passes Justin Herbert threw in his direction. If Chargers fans believed Johnston’s troubles hanging onto the football were over after a rocky rookie season, they were wrong.
The fans gave Johnston an earful, too, booing him late in the game.
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Herbert rose to Johnston’s defense after the game.
“He’s a fighter, you trust him,” Herbert said. “I’m going to keep throwing him the ball and that’s what we did out there. Unfortunately it didn’t go our way tonight, but I know he’s going to be the first one in the building and he’s going to do everything the right way. He’s a truly great teammate, great guy, and he’s going to go make some plays. He’s got a lot of good football left in front of him.”
WHAT COMES NEXT
The Chargers (7-4) face the Falcons (6-5) on Sunday in Atlanta, only their second opponent with a winning record since losing to the Arizona Cardinals on Oct. 21. Of the Chargers’ final six games, all but two are on the road. After facing the Falcons, they travel to Kansas City to face the Chiefs on Dec. 8.