Jim Harbaugh paced the sideline with his hands on his hips. He stomped on the grass at State Farm Field as the Arizona Cardinals ran the clock down. The Chargers head coach had no other answers.
The Chargers’ top-ranked defense folded in the most critical moment, losing 17-15 to the Arizona Cardinals on Monday as the Cardinals (3-4) easily moved into field goal position in the final two minutes.
Chargers rookie cornerback Cam Hart was called for unnecessary roughness while breaking up a second-down pass with 1:51 remaining, moving the Cardinals to their 45-yard line.
After catching a short pass, Cardinals running back James Conner ran through two tackles on the next play, stretching what should have been a modest gain into a 33-yard back-breaker.
Chad Ryland kicked the game-winning field goal five plays later as time expired.
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The Cardinals’ only kick of the night easily overpowered the Chargers’ spotty offense that only mustered five kicks from Cameron Dicker. The 24-year-old had a career-long 59-yard field goal and a 50-yard boot as the first half expired and gave the Chargers a 15-14 lead with 1:54 remaining on a 40-yard kick.
Quarterback Justin Herbert threw for a season-best 349 yards on 27-for-39 passing, but the Chargers were held to just 60 yards rushing in 22 carries.
With receivers Quentin Johnston (ankle), Derius Davis (hamstring) and D.J. Chark Jr. (groin) out, the Chargers were searching for any offensive weapon to complement Herbert. He completed passes to 10 receivers, but not all were ready to catch the passes he laced through tight windows.
Ladd McConkey, one of Herbert’s most reliable players, had two drops in the first half as the Chargers trailed 7-6. Tight end Stone Smartt snagged a pass for 31 yards in the third quarter, moving the Chargers into Cardinals territory, but the drive stalled when Smartt and fellow tight end Will Dissly dropped passes on consecutive plays.
Receiver Jalen Reagor, who was promoted from the practice squad Monday in part to serve as a punt returner for the injured Davis, was three yards away from his first touchdown since 2022 when Cardinals cornerback Starling Thomas V chopped the ball free on the Chargers’ first offensive drive.
The ball bounced inside the pylon and out of the end zone to give possession to the Cardinals. After his 42-yard reception ended with the Cardinals offense on the field, Reagor, a 2020 first-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles, grasped the sides of his helmet with both hands in disbelief.
It was the second fumble the Chargers lost in the first two drives. Chargers defensive lineman Teair Tart intercepted a tipped pass on the Cardinals’ first offensive drive, but Conner stripped the ball on Tart’s return attempt and Arizona recovered.
The miscues contributed to the Chargers’ first scoreless first quarter of the season despite Herbert completing his first eight passes.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
