The Chargers came out of Week 1 with more than a loss on the scoreboard. They also watched their playoff outlook take a serious step backward after a stunning defeat to the Cardinals.
What was supposed to be a clean opening statement turned into a mess. Arizona, a team many expected to be chasing a top-five draft pick by season’s end, looked like the more complete side. The Chargers, by contrast, never found their footing and looked out of sync in a game that was supposed to launch a run.
The numbers reflect that swing. Entering the opener, the Chargers had a 57% chance to reach the playoffs. After the result, The Athletic moved that figure down to 42%.
"According to The Athletic, the Chargers playoff odds dropped from 57 percent to 42 percent after Sunday's results around the league," Eric Smith of Chargers.com wrote.
BetMGM currently lists the Chargers at +100 to make the playoffs and +375 to win the AFC West.
Even with the rough start, the season is obviously not over in September. A 0-1 record is a bad place to begin, but there’s still a long runway ahead. The bigger concern is how the Chargers looked while dropping that game, getting beat in all three phases and failing to show the kind of edge that would normally fuel talk of a deep postseason push.
There is at least an immediate chance to reset. The Chargers return home in Week 2 to face the Raiders, and a strong response there would go a long way toward steadying things after the opening stumble.
For the division picture, DraftKings still has the Chargers with the second-best odds to win the AFC West at +190 heading into Week 2.
In Other News...
Former Cardinals Pick BJ Ojulari Just Got Another NFL Chance
BJ Ojulari is getting another shot in the NFL, this time with the Jacksonville Jaguars after a stop in Arizona that never really got off the ground. The former Cardinals outside linebacker arrived as a second-round pick in 2023, but a knee injury quickly derailed his momentum and kept him from establishing the kind of role the team had envisioned for him.
Now the Jaguars are taking a chance on a player whose talent still made him worth a look after Arizona moved on from him before the 2024 season. Jacksonville appears to be adding him in response to an edge-rush need after Week 1, giving Ojulari a fresh path to prove he can still carve out a place in an NFL pass rush. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Get An Early Edge As Seahawks QB Situation Shifts
Sam Darnolds unexpected injury has already added an early wrinkle to the NFC West race, and it lands right in the Cardinals path. Seattles quarterback was hurt on a soft-tissue glute injury in Week 1 and is expected to sit out at least the Week 2 meeting with Arizona, shifting the pressure onto the Seahawks before the division schedule has really gotten rolling.
Mike Garafolo has suggested the recovery could stretch toward four weeks, though Seattle may choose to move carefully with its starter rather than rush him back. For now, Drew Lock is lined up to take over, giving Arizona a chance to face a different look under center in a game that could matter early in the division standings. [Read more 🡒]
Mike LaFleur Just Put Trey McBride In Rare Company
Mike LaFleurs first win as a head coach gave him plenty to talk about, but he also made sure to single out one of the Cardinals most important offensive pieces. During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, LaFleur praised Trey McBrides mental and physical toughness, his ball skills and the way he leads, painting a picture of a tight end who already does plenty of heavy lifting for Arizona and still has more room to grow.
LaFleur went a step further by comparing McBrides ability to control the pace of a play to Luka Doncic, which is rare company for any pass catcher. The bigger takeaway for the Cardinals is what came next: LaFleur said McBride is still improving, a reminder that Arizona may be watching its top tight end enter the kind of stretch where the ceiling keeps creeping higher. [Read more 🡒]