Chargers hope Cardinals’ defense is salve for ailing offense

The Los Angeles Chargers have one of the least productive offenses in the NFL five games into the Jim Harbaugh era.

And highly paid quarterback Justin Herbert is averaging just 163 passing yards per game.

The Chargers will try to rev up the attack on Monday night when they face the struggling defense of the Arizona Cardinals at Glendale, Ariz.

The Cardinals (2-4) are tied for 27th in scoring defense by allowing 27.2 points per game. Arizona has allowed 34 or more points on three occasions, including last week’s 21-point loss to the Green Bay Packers.

So perhaps the opportunity is there for Los Angeles (3-2) to get its offense moving. The Chargers are tied for 26th in scoring offense at 18.2 points per game and sit 28th in total offense at 281 yards per game during Harbaugh’s first season with the club.

As for Herbert, he topped 200 passing yards for the first time all season when he threw for 237 in last weekend’s 23-16 road victory over the Denver Broncos.

The scoring output is the Chargers’ second most of the season.

“I’d like to win every game by 60 points, but this is the NFL,” said Herbert, who has thrown for 815 yards this season, 28th most in the league. “You have to go out there and give your best effort every week. We’re exactly where we are right now, and we have to find a way to keep getting better and keep moving forward.”

Arizona needs to start stacking wins after a start that includes a 42-14 home loss to the Washington Commanders and last week’s 34-13 road setback to Green Bay.

The Cardinals fell behind 24-0 to the Packers in the first 25-plus minutes of the contest and later lost three second-half fumbles to sabotage any chance of a comeback. They committed 13 penalties for 100 yards.

Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray understands it was a shaky performance but said Thursday that a turnaround is possible.

“I don’t think anyone has given up on what we can accomplish,” Murray said.

Murray included a vow that he has “full faith” in the players and coaches.

“It’s a long season,” Murray said. “I’ve been on teams that started off hot and finished not where you want to, but I also understand the mindset and mentality that we have to have going into each week and moving forward.”

Rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. sustained a second-quarter concussion Sunday and missed the rest of the game.

Harrison remains in concussion protocol and took part in non-contact drills on Thursday. His availability will be determined later in the week.

Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon referred to Harrison’s progress as “really encouraging.”

Harrison, the fourth overall pick of the 2024 draft, has 17 catches for team highs of 279 yards and four touchdowns.

Meanwhile, Harbaugh will wear a heart monitor during this contest after briefly leaving last week’s game against the Broncos due to arrhythmia. It was Harbaugh’s second in-game heart incident as a coach, the other coming in 2012 with the San Francisco 49ers.

Harbaugh said that he passed tests performed by his cardiologist.

“Got some test results back. ‘The heart of an athlete’ is a direct quote from my cardiologist,” Harbaugh said Thursday. “That made me feel good. … Back in rhythm, hopefully that sticks. Got the monitor on.”

Chargers star pass rusher Joey Bosa (hip) missed practice after sitting out the past two games.

Cornerbacks Kristian Fulton and Deane Leonard, both with hamstring injuries, also sat out for Los Angeles. So did tight end Hayden Hurst (groin) and wideout Quentin Johnston (ankle).

Sitting out for the Cardinals were offensive lineman Kelvin Beachum (hamstring), defensive lineman Darius Robinson (calf) and inside linebacker Owen Pappoe (hip).

Gannon also said that defensive tackle Bilal Nichols is done for the season. He sustained a neck stinger in each of the past two games.

–Field Level Media

Bucs-Ravens a clash of high-powered offenses

The Baltimore Ravens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, two of the league’s top offenses, could be headed for a shootout in Tampa in an intriguing Monday night matchup.

The Ravens (4-2) are tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for first place in the AFC North, while the Buccaneers (4-2) share the NFC South lead with the Atlanta Falcons.

The Buccaneers are scoring 29.7 points per game, tied for second with the Washington Commanders behind the Detroit Lions (30.2). The Ravens are ranked No. 1 with 453.7 yards per game and are averaging 29.5 points, which ranks fourth.

Conversely, the Ravens and Buccaneers have among the worst pass defenses in the league. Baltimore is ranked 31st, allowing 275.7 yards passing, and Tampa Bay is 28th with 252.3 yards per game.

As a result, there could be plenty of scoring at Raymond James Stadium.

“If you can get a lead and you can make somebody one-dimensional, the gym bag is open,” Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said. “You can kind of reach in and pull out anything you want to pull out, those guys start flying around and making plays and you can see the results.”

The Ravens have been dominant against NFC opponents, and the Buccaneers are no exception. Baltimore has won five straight against Tampa Bay after losing the first two meetings dating back to 2001.

Baltimore has an even more formidable running attack this season with the addition of All-Pro Derrick Henry, who leads the NFL in rushing yards (704), attempts (119) and rushing touchdowns (eight) entering this week.

Henry is also the first player since Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson in 2005 with at least one rushing touchdown in each of his team’s first six games.

“He’s one of one,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said about Henry. “Somebody asked me in the (network TV) production meeting this week, ‘Who do you compare him to?’ I’m like, ‘Man, who do you compare him to?’ I saw the Eric Dickerson article. OK, I think there is some similarity. I remember Eric Dickerson coming up, but after that, and even that, I don’t know, man.”

Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson, a two-time NFL Most Valuable Player, is having another MVP-caliber season. Jackson has completed 118 of 176 passes for 1,529 yards with 10 touchdowns and two interceptions. He is also second on the team with 403 yards rushing with two scores.

Jackson is 22-1 against the NFC opponents, the best mark by a quarterback against an opposing conference in NFL history. Jackson is 2-0 against Tampa Bay.

“There’s room for improvement and we just got to keep stacking (wins),” Jackson said.

None of the Ravens’ starters missed practice Thursday, so they should be healthy for the matchup against Tampa Bay. Cornerback Arthur Maulet could make his season debut after dealing with knee and hamstring injuries.

Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield is also having an exceptional season. He is 134-for-189 passing for 1,489 yards and a league-high 15 touchdowns with five interceptions entering Week 7.

Mayfield has had two of the NFL’s elite playmaking wide receivers at his disposal in Chris Godwin and Mike Evans. The Buccaneers rank 11th in averaging 230.3 yards passing per game.

Godwin and Evans entered Week 7 tied for the league lead with five receiving touchdowns apiece. However, Evans was held out of practice Thursday as a precaution because of a hamstring injury, according to the team’s injury report. Tampa Bay All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr. is limited with a foot injury.

The Buccaneers’ running attack is led by rookie Bucky Irving, who has 328 rushing yards. However, second-year player Sean Tucker is also emerging as a playmaker and amassed 192 yards of total offense — 136 rushing and 56 receiving — with two touchdowns in a 51-27 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

However, no team has been able to effectively run against the Ravens this season. Baltimore is ranked No. 1, allowing 59.0 yards rushing per game. The team’s stout defensive front seven, led by linemen Nnamdi Madubuike, Travis Jones and Michael Pierce, have been fierce tacklers and dominated opposing offensive lines.

“They’re physical,” Mayfield said of Baltimore’s defense. “They want to be the bully, but they have those guys that set the tone for them on all three levels.”

–Field Level Media