Chargers seem shocked by their stunning collapse from playoff contender to winless cellar-dweller

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — At 0-7, the Los Angeles Chargers are nowhere near where they thought they would be this season.

Rookie edge rusher Akheem Mesidor might have best reflected the chasm between expectations and reality for the reeling club as he struggled to sum up what went wrong in a 24-9 loss to the Rams on Sunday .

“I don’t know,” Mesidor said. “I don’t know what to say. Everybody in this locker room wants to win, and we’re doing what it takes every week, the preparation to do so. But I don’t know. I wouldn’t know how to explain what happened.”

As the 22nd pick in the NFL draft, Mesidor was brought in to provide immediate help to a team with Super Bowl aspirations. That was nothing new after he dealt with championship expectations during his last two seasons at Miami.

Mesidor had played in nothing but meaningful games for two full years with the Hurricanes, who lost their finale in 2024 to miss out on a berth in the College Football Playoff before reaching the national championship game last season.

Now, Mesidor and the Chargers would need to close the season with an incredible 10-game winning streak to have much hope of reaching the playoffs.

“Just it’s all mental, really,” Mesidor said of his approach. “You just got to come to work and you just try to be happy, keep a positive mindset. That’s all you really can do, can control is your mindset.”

Even as he said the right things, Mesidor seemed shell-shocked. That same disbelief was everywhere in the Chargers' usual SoFi Stadium setup despite being the visiting team against the Rams, and it extends well beyond that space.

There has been no indication the front office will go into fire-sale mode to move players on expiring contracts who could offer value to contending teams, with 35-year-old edge rusher Khalil Mack being the most obvious example.

The plan appears to be for coach Jim Harbaugh's team to try and turn things around and hope for something that has never happened in NFL history. But for a team and organization seemingly stuck in an unending daze, hope seems to be all the Chargers have left.

The defense continues to show progress, particularly in the first half before the lack of offensive support caught up to them. They held the Rams without a first down on five straight possessions to start the game, allowing 14 net yards, and yielding just a field goal after Justin Herbert’s first interception handed the Rams the ball in the red zone.

Coming off a bye week with the chance to self-scout and simplify — or change their scheme or play-caller — the Chargers had arguably their most disappointing offensive performance of the season against the Rams. The Bolts have now gone 27 possessions without a touchdown across nine quarters .

Practice squad CB Isas Waxter led the team with six tackles. The undrafted rookie from Villanova looks to be a real player, and not just a body helping the secondary get through its injury crisis. Waxter was especially impressive in twice stopping Rams star wideout Puka Nacua for a loss on screen passes.

The running back trio of Kimani Vidal, Omarion Hampton and Keaton Mitchell combined for 49 yards on 21 carries (2.3 yards per attempt), and the constant shuffling seems to be doing none of them any favors. Harbaugh indicated Monday it might make sense to reduce the rotation and give somebody the opportunity to build a rhythm.

CB Deane Leonard is still in the concussion protocol. Rookie WR Brenen Thompson (quad/hamstring) is unlikely to practice this week. TE David Njoku will likely return to practice this week; he is on injured reserve after sustaining a leg injury against the Raiders on Sept. 20.

10 — The Chargers have lost 10 straight games dating to last season, counting their AFC wild-card loss to the New England Patriots. That's the franchise’s longest skid since dropping 11 straight to start the disastrous 2000 campaign, when the Chargers went 1-15 under coach Mike Riley in Harbaugh’s last season as a player.

The Chargers host one of the runners-up for the title of most disappointing team in football, the 2-5 Houston Texans, on Sunday.

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