4 Winners and 4 Losers From Chargers' Week 3 Loss Against the Bills

The Los Angeles Chargers came into Buffalo looking for their first win of the season and had a real opportunity to leave with one. The defense created five turnovers and repeatedly gave the offense chances to build a lead, but those opportunities weren’t converted into enough points. After leading 13-10 entering the fourth quarter, the team eventually fell 24-16.

Despite the loss, several players stood out for positive reasons, while others simply had performances that left plenty to improve on.

Winner: Genesis Smith

Genesis Smith was one of the biggest bright spots of the afternoon. The fourth-round rookie safety recorded two interceptions in the first half, giving him the first two picks of his NFL career.

Smith showed excellent awareness on both plays and looked comfortable making an impact against one of the league’s most difficult quarterbacks.

His performance provided a major boost to a defense that was creating opportunities all afternoon.

For a rookie only three games into his career, Smith’s ability to make plays on the ball was one of the most encouraging developments from Sunday.

Loser: Justin Herbert

Herbert had some good moments, but the offense needed more from its quarterback in the biggest situations. He helped lead an early scoring drive that gave the team an advantage, but the offense struggled to maintain that momentum.

The biggest missed opportunity came in the fourth quarter. After the defense had created another turnover and put the offense in position to score, the drive ended without a touchdown. With the game eventually decided by eight points, those missed chances became increasingly important.

Herbert wasn’t responsible for every offensive problem, but the offense needed to be more productive when the defense was repeatedly creating extra possessions.

Tom Brady just killed Justin Herbert after this egregious interception 😭😭

“He throws it down the middle of the field, but there’s a safety down the middle of the field. Poor awareness. Poor decision. Throws him a meatball sub” pic.twitter.com/aKH6DmZA20
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) September 27, 2026

Winner: Tuli Tuipulotu

Tuipulotu continued to provide an important presence along the defensive line. He consistently worked to get into the backfield and helped make things difficult for Buffalo’s offense. Going against a quarterback capable of extending plays with his legs makes generating pressure especially important. Tuipulotu’s ability to disrupt plays up front helped contribute to a defensive performance that forced five turnovers.

His activity was one of the reasons the defense was able to keep the game within reach throughout the afternoon.

Loser: Quentin Johnston

Johnston finished with three catches for 40 yards, but one of his most important moments came late in the game.

With the offense trying to put together a comeback, Johnston had an opportunity on third down that could have helped keep the drive alive. The incompletion forced another stalled possession at a point when every opportunity mattered.

Johnston has shown flashes of being a productive part of the passing game, but consistency will remain important as he continues to take on a larger role.

Winner: Ladd McConkey

McConkey continued to provide a reliable option in the passing game. Even though the offense struggled to establish a consistent rhythm, he remained one of the players capable of creating plays when the ball came his way.

His ability to work underneath and create additional yardage gives Herbert an important safety net, while his downfield ability can also open up opportunities for the rest of the offense.

Ladd McConkey: "I think everybody should be pissed off. Sitting at 0-3 when three games that I feel like we could have won. Had every opportunity. Defense played great. We got to score more points."
— Kris Rhim (@krisrhim1) September 27, 2026

Loser: Mike McDaniel

The biggest problem with the offense was its inability to capitalize on the defense’s work.

Five turnovers should provide an offense with plenty of opportunities to build a lead. Instead, the team repeatedly struggled to turn those possessions into touchdowns and finished with only 16 points. That lack of production became especially frustrating because the defense continued creating chances. The offensive game plan needed to find a way to consistently move the ball and finish drives, particularly once the game reached the fourth quarter.

Winner: Daiyan Henley

Henley made an impact almost immediately. After Justin Eboigbe forced a fumble on Buffalo’s opening offensive possession, Henley recovered the loose ball and gave the offense an early opportunity.

That turnover helped set up the opening touchdown and gave the team early momentum.

Henley remained active throughout the afternoon as part of a defense that consistently found ways to take the football away. His recovery was the first of several defensive plays that gave the offense extra opportunities.

Chargers recover a James Cook fumble on the first play of the game. Justin Eboigbe caused it, Daiyan Henley recovered it.

It leads to an eight-play, 47-yard TD drive. Keaton Mitchel scores on a 1-yard pass from Justin Herbert. It's 7-0 Chargers. A perfect start for L.A.
— Chris Hayre (@chrishayre) September 27, 2026

Loser: The Offensive Line

The offensive line had a difficult afternoon and struggled to provide the consistency needed for the offense to stay on schedule.

Ultimately, the defense did enough to give the team a chance to win. The offense simply couldn’t make enough of those opportunities count. A five-turnover performance from the defense should have provided a much larger margin for error, but the 24-16 final showed just how costly those missed opportunities were.

The line has been hit with multiple injuries and that can hinder a position group immensely, but would still like to see better non the less.

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