The spread for the Week 6 showdown between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Baltimore Ravens was at plus-minus 2.5 points.
That number predicted that the two teams with identical 4-1 records will slug it out until the final play in regulation or overtime.
Unfortunately, the Chargers did not show up, and the Ravens won a one-sided affair.
As expected, the Ravens established their run offense to finish with 187 yards.
In contrast, the Chargers came up with only 26 yards on the ground.
Baltimore’s domination in carrying the ball gave them 38 minutes of possession time.
The Chargers couldn’t do much with their offense as the match turned from bad to worse.
However, Los Angeles had more passing yards than Baltimore.
But Herbert’s 195 yards against a struggling Ravens pass defense is a far cry from his 315.2 per game average through Week 5.
Perhaps the actual Chargers failed to board the plane to Baltimore because they were nowhere relevant.
Winning against the Ravens could have legitimized the Chargers’ claim as the best AFC team.
Instead, they are back to square one after a humiliating beatdown.
Head coach Brandon Staley will find a way to get back on the winning track.
Yet for one week, it’s hard to fathom that the Chargers scored fewer points than the Detroit Lions and the New York Giants.
Chargers Were Outplayed And Outcoached
The Chargers’ loss to the Ravens was a prime example of Murphy’s Law for several reasons.
First, Latavius Murray, Devonta Freeman, and Le’Veon Bell stood up against Father Time to score one touchdown each.
Second, the Baltimore defense suddenly came alive by creating enough pressure against Herbert.
The Ravens did a phenomenal job in disguising their coverages to keep the second-year quarterback guessing.
As a result, they limited Mike Williams to 27 receiving yards, a far cry from his 165 against the Cleveland Browns.
Lastly, Baltimore also dominated in special teams, thanks to Devin Duvernay.
Unfortunately, Brandon Staley’s gutsy play-calling backfired against John Harbaugh.
The young head coach has a penchant for letting the offense play fourth downs.
But, weirdly, he went for two fourth-down plays on their own territory.
Those turnovers on downs led to two Justin Tucker field goals.
Herbert was not at his element during the game, completing just 22 of 39 passes.
The Ravens executed their game plan to perfection and had plenty of time to take pictures at the sidelines even before the game was officially over.
What’s Next For The Bolts?
The Chargers must be ready the next time they meet the Ravens because that might be during the playoffs.
However, there are still 11 regular-season games remaining, giving them plenty of time to regroup.
Los Angeles will have a lighter schedule in their following three assignments, and they must win against the New England Patriots, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Minnesota Vikings.
Therefore, they must bury this loss in the past and start anew.
Staley will find a way to inspire his players after the catastrophe.
Continuously going for it on fourth down will strengthen the trust between him and his offense.
In some ways, it’s nice for the Chargers to suffer such loss this early.
It will motivate them not to take anything for granted, even if everything seems to be going their way.
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