Chargers drop in power rankings despite winning, NFL trade deadline flurry

The Los Angeles Chargers kept on the right track in a middling AFC with a win over Tennessee to move to 6-3, then acted as buyers at the NFL trade deadline.

But that’s enough to drop Justin Herbert and the Chargers in the power rankings these days.

Context matters despite the nice record and the Joe Alt injury hangs far above everything else when it comes time to talk about the Chargers.

Hence, NFL.com’s Eric Edholm dropping the Chargers two spots in the Week 10 power rankings:

“The Chargers' too-close-for-comfort win and another injury to Joe Alt (this time, a season-ender) has me once again questioning their credentials, even if they remain in the current playoff field and still boast a 3-0 mark against the AFC West. Perhaps the Trevor Penning trade can help stop the bleeding, but they're just a different offense with Alt -- and Justin Herbert can’t take six sacks in 40 dropbacks and hope to win too many more games.”

Chargers injuries derail power rankings, playoff outlook h2

Unfortunate as it is, that 3-0 start in the AFC West and 6-3 mark overall in the AFC West don’t matter much for the Chargers right now.

Herbert’s offensive line had hardly endured the season-ending loss of Rashawn Slater before Alt went down against the Titans.

And that Alt injury is the only reason the Chargers really acted as buyers and acquired Trevor Penning from the New Orleans Saints, too.

Now, the Chargers have to hope that Penning can get acclimated quickly and serve as a starter in a critical role. The AFC is still wide open, but those winter months can be brutal and the injury bug just won’t seem to let up. Only winning will keep them in the hunt and steady in power rankings that are understandably down on them.

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