Los Angeles Chargers vs Arizona Cardinals Match Player Stats (Oct 21, 2024)

Chad Ryland’s 32-yard field goal split the uprights as the clock hit zero, capping Arizona’s 17-15 comeback victory over Los Angeles on October 21, 2024, at State Farm Stadium. James Conner rushed for 101 yards. Kyler Murray’s 44-yard touchdown scramble gave Arizona the lead early in the fourth quarter. Yet Justin Herbert’s 349 passing yards in his best performance of 2024 couldn’t produce a single touchdown, forcing Cameron Dicker to kick five field goals instead.

Not even once.

Quarterback Performance Stats

Herbert completed 69.2% of his passes for his best yardage total through seven weeks. Nine different receivers caught passes from the Chargers quarterback, but drops and a fumble at the goal line derailed scoring opportunities. According to ESPN’s coverage, this extended Los Angeles’ touchdown drought to 16 consecutive offensive drives dating back to Week 6.

The frustration was obvious in his postgame comments. “I thought we did a lot of good things, but we have to score points in the red zone,” Herbert said, shaking his head. “That’s the biggest takeaway from tonight’s game. We’ve got an amazing kicker, but we’ve got to do a better job for our defense and special teams.”

Murray’s 53.8% completion rate couldn’t match Herbert’s efficiency through the air. But football isn’t played in spreadsheets. The Cardinals quarterback made his biggest impact with his legs, turning broken plays into first downs and outrunning defenders for the game’s longest touchdown. His scrambling ability extended possessions when the pocket collapsed.

Ground Game Comparison

While Herbert dominated through the air, the battle on the ground belonged to Arizona.

Conner ran through arm tackles like they weren’t there, stiff-arming one defender into the turf while dragging another three yards downfield. He broke 11 tackles and averaged 5.3 yards per attempt against a Chargers rush defense that ranked among the NFL’s best entering Week 7.

The night before the game, Conner delivered an emotional speech to his teammates, urging everyone to “push their chips in” for the Monday night matchup.

“As a captain on this team, that’s the job description,” Conner said after backing up his words. “Just tried to rally the troops.”

Murray’s touchdown scramble came early in the fourth quarter. He rolled left on the designed run, planted his foot, and exploded past linebacker Junior Colson racing toward the sideline. Nobody caught him. He coasted the final 20 yards holding the ball casually with one hand, drawing laughter from teammates on the sideline.

Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon smiled when asked about the casual ball security. “Until he fumbles, I’ll let him ride,” he said with a wry grin. “That was a pretty spectacular play.”

Arizona rushed for 181 yards on 29 attempts while Los Angeles managed just 59 yards on 22 carries. That 122-yard gap decided a two-point contest.

Pass Catchers Production

Los Angeles Receivers

Arizona Receivers

Dissly led all pass catchers with eight receptions on 11 targets, providing Herbert with a reliable option over the middle. He converted four first downs and gave the Chargers consistent production when other receivers struggled with drops.

Conner’s receiving work proved just as valuable as his rushing. His 33-yard catch on a screen pass during the final drive moved Arizona into field goal range with under two minutes remaining.

Pure violence followed by ballet.

Harrison Jr. finished with just three catches for 21 yards on six targets. He dropped what would have been a first-down reception in the fourth quarter, though Arizona’s defense bailed him out with a penalty on the next play. According to Cardinals beat coverage, Harrison had struggled with consistency in recent games.

Defensive Numbers

Both defenses generated turnovers and goal-line stands throughout the game, but Arizona’s Thomas strip of Reagor at the goal line and three total sacks of Herbert proved more impactful. The Cardinals deployed two-high safety looks for much of the game, keeping both safeties deep to prevent explosive plays and forcing Herbert into shorter throws underneath.

Los Angeles Defense

Arizona Defense

The Cardinals defensive line generated three sacks and seven quarterback hits on Herbert. Dante Stills, Ben Stille, and Naquan Jones each recorded a sack.

Teair Tart intercepted Murray on the game’s opening drive and rumbled four yards upfield before Conner sprinted from behind and punched the ball loose. Michael Wilson recovered the fumble for Arizona at the Cardinals’ 28-yard line, preserving the possession after what should have been a devastating turnover.

Starling Thomas V made the defensive play of the night midway through the first quarter. Jalen Reagor caught a deep ball from Herbert and had nothing but green grass ahead. Six points, easy money. But Thomas came from behind at full speed, reached around Reagor’s body, and punched the ball free just as the receiver stretched toward the pylon. The ball squirted forward, bounced once, and rolled through the end zone for a touchback.

What should have been seven points for Los Angeles became zero points and Arizona ball at the 20.

Special Teams Performance

How did the Chargers score their 15 points?

One man. One leg. Five kicks.

Dicker accounted for every Chargers point with perfect accuracy on five field goal attempts. His 59-yard make in the second quarter tied the franchise record for longest field goal, giving Los Angeles an early 3-0 lead. He also connected from 50, 28, 47, and 40 yards out. According to Pro Football Reference data, the performance improved his career field goal percentage to 94.4%.

His 59-yard bomb proved his range. The other four showed consistency under pressure.

Ryland, filling in for injured Matt Prater, split the uprights from 32 yards as time expired. The game winner marked his third walk-off field goal of the 2024 season. Not bad for a replacement kicker.

Injury Impact

Both teams dealt with key absences and in-game losses that shifted rotations. Joey Bosa remained inactive for Los Angeles with a hip injury that had sidelined him since Week 3. Arizona lost cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting to a neck injury in the first half, forcing rookie Max Melton into extended duty against Herbert’s passing attack. Linebacker Dennis Gardeck also exited in the third quarter with a knee injury, thinning the Cardinals’ pass rush rotation.

Team Statistics Overview

Los Angeles controlled the ball for over eight more minutes and outgained Arizona by 69 total yards. On third down, the Chargers converted 43% compared to Arizona’s 29%. Despite these advantages, none of it mattered.

Why?

Red zone execution. Or lack thereof.

The Chargers went 0-for-1 in the red zone. Multiple drives stalled just outside the 20-yard line, forcing Dicker to attempt long field goals rather than giving the offense chances to reach the end zone. Herbert’s touchdown drought extended to 16 drives dating back to Week 6, a concerning trend heading into a crucial stretch of games.

Arizona converted its only red zone opportunity when Murray found Greg Dortch on a 5-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, giving the Cardinals a 7-3 lead. Los Angeles answered with a 50-yard Dicker field goal before halftime to make it 7-6.

Turnover Impact

Two Chargers fumbles eliminated scoring chances. The Reagor fumble at the goal line cost Los Angeles at least three points, possibly seven. The Tart interception that became a fumble still resulted in Arizona maintaining possession.

Ladd McConkey also fumbled during the fourth quarter, though it went out of bounds and the Chargers retained the ball. The pattern of ball security issues plagued Los Angeles throughout the night.

Game-Deciding Drive Sequence

Can you win with one drive?

Arizona proved you can.

Murray started the winning possession at the Cardinals’ 30-yard line with 1:54 remaining and his team trailing 15-14. An incomplete pass to Michael Wilson on second down brought up third-and-10 from the 30.

Then came the penalty that shifted momentum completely.

Murray threw incomplete to Marvin Harrison Jr. along the right sideline. The ball sailed incomplete, but Cam Hart arrived late and made helmet-to-helmet contact with Harrison while the receiver was airborne and defenseless. Unnecessary roughness. Fifteen yards. Automatic first down.

Instead of punting from their own territory, Arizona had the ball at the 45-yard line.

Jim Harbaugh measured his words when asked about the call. “I saw what I saw, but I have no comment about it,” the Chargers coach said. “It was a game of a lot of near misses or close calls. Came down to a lot of details, not just one play.”

Murray immediately capitalized. He checked down to Conner on a screen pass to the left. Conner caught the ball three yards behind the line, broke two tackles, reversed field, and rumbled 33 yards to the Los Angeles 22-yard line.

Conner then carried twice more for 11 combined yards, setting up Ryland’s 32-yard attempt with five seconds remaining. The kick split the uprights. Cardinals 17, Chargers 15.

This marked Jim Harbaugh’s first loss on Monday Night Football, dropping his career primetime record to 6-1. The defeat also snapped a three-game winning streak for Los Angeles in the series against Arizona.

Statistical Context and Performance Analysis

Herbert averaged 8.9 yards per attempt with a 69.2% completion rate without throwing an interception or making a turnover-worthy play despite taking three sacks. Five incompletions resulted from receiver drops, according to detailed game analysis from the Chargers.

Murray took what the defense gave him. When the Chargers loaded the box to stop the run, he checked down. When they dropped into coverage, he tucked the ball and ran. The 64 rushing yards on six attempts kept Arizona ahead of the chains.

The Cardinals held Dobbins to 2.9 yards per carry while Arizona averaged 6.2 yards per carry. Conner’s 152 total yards from scrimmage on 21 touches showcased his ability to hurt defenses both as a power runner and receiver. That dual threat forced the Chargers to adjust their defensive scheme repeatedly.

Season Implications and What’s Next

The loss dropped Los Angeles to 3-3, setting up a four-game stretch against teams with losing records. The Chargers needed wins during that stretch to stay competitive in the AFC West playoff race.

Los Angeles returned home to face New Orleans in Week 8, needing to halt their touchdown drought. Arizona traveled to Miami, seeking their third consecutive victory.

For the Chargers, the 16-drive touchdown drought became the defining storyline. “It’s just to execute. To lock in, focus,” Herbert said when pressed about the red zone issues. “We got the right plays, we got the right guys out there. It just didn’t go our way tonight and we got to do a better job of executing those red zone plays.”

Individual Standout Performances

James Conner led all players with 152 total yards from scrimmage. His 11 forced missed tackles and dual-threat ability gave Arizona multiple ways to attack. Conner delivered on his emotional pregame speech with his most complete performance of 2024.

Cameron Dicker kept the Chargers within striking distance despite offensive struggles. Every Los Angeles point came from his right leg, including a franchise-tying 59-yard bomb.

Starling Thomas V swung the momentum Arizona’s direction with his forced fumble at the goal line. Without that strip of Reagor, the Chargers likely take a double-digit lead into halftime.

Will Dissly provided Herbert with a safety valve, catching eight of 11 targets for 81 yards. His production gave the Chargers consistent chain-moving ability when other options disappeared.

Historical Series Notes

The victory marked Arizona’s second win in the last three meetings. Los Angeles had dominated the all-time series with an 11-5 regular season record entering this matchup. The Cardinals also won 25-24 in Week 12 of the 2022 season at State Farm Stadium, another walk-off field goal finish. Arizona had now won both recent home games against Los Angeles by a combined three points.

Why This Game Matters Beyond the Box Score

This October 2024 matchup proved that execution in critical moments beats statistical dominance. The Reagor fumble at the goal line cost Los Angeles at least three points. Herbert’s 0-for-1 red zone performance represented missed opportunities on five separate drives. The Hart penalty gave Arizona 15 yards and a first down when a punt seemed inevitable.

Arizona executed when trailing by one with less than two minutes remaining. Los Angeles discovered that 395 yards and 34 minutes of possession mean nothing without points on the scoreboard.

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The Los Angeles Chargers vs Arizona Cardinals match player stats show that sometimes the numbers create a mirage. Ryland’s kick beats Dicker’s five any day when it comes with zeros on the clock.