Charger Report

Where do Chargers land in latest power rankings following Thursday night win?

The injury bug leaves questions for Los Angeles
Thomas Martinez|
Oct 23, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) as he leaves the field following the game against the Minnesota Vikings at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Oct 23, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) as he leaves the field following the game against the Minnesota Vikings at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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Los Angeles Chargers

The Los Angeles Chargers defeated the visiting Minnesota Vikings on Thursday Night Football. The result was one-sided.

The Chargers received a boost to their lineup with the return of left tackle Joe Alt and the non-limited return of edge rusher Khalil Mack. The competition in the NFL is fierce but the beatdown of the Vikings did little to impress the power rankings moving up only one spot to 12th in the latest NFL power rankings from Robert Zeglinski and Christian D'Andrea at For the Win.

"Los Angeles' pass rush came alive to beat the brakes off Carson Wentz, which could be a sign of things to come or merely a sign they were playing against Carson Wentz," wrote D'Andrea.

RELATED: Khalil Mack's return is game changing for the Chargers defense

The Chargers pass rush, starting with the edge rushers, will need to turn up the heat with the secondary facing a long list of injuries including CB Tarheeb Still who may be facing a possible layoff until after the week 12 bye with an MCL sprain.

The Chargers offensive line injury woes have forced the team to shift into heavier personnel packages which has condensed the game closer to the line of scrimmage. Justin Herbert's average depth of target currently sits at eight yards, good enough for 21st in the league according to PFF.

RELATED: Chargers’ Quentin Johnston fined by NFL for surprising reason


Justin Herbert's ADOT data point suggests the Chargers offense, paired with heavier use of multiple tight end sets, is using extra blockers to mitigate the offensive line injuries.

The bottom line for the Chargers is if they can get healthy and keep the injury bug at bay, their place among the NFL's elite will be solidified.

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Thomas Martinez
THOMAS MARTINEZ

Thomas Martinez has covered the Chargers and the NFL draft since 2022. Born and raised as a Chargers fan, experienced the improbable Super Bowl run in the 94’ season as a child, survived Ryan Leaf, the Marlon McCree fumble and Nate Kaeding in the playoffs. He graduated from UC Riverside with a degree in Political Science and The University of Redlands with an MBA.

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