Khalil Mack smiled and then laughed when he called himself a sore loser after the Chargers’ loss this past Monday night to the Baltimore Ravens, a defeat that ended their four-game winning streak and forced them to regroup during a short week before facing the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
Joey Bosa, Mack’s fellow outside linebacker, said there was no sense dwelling on the past beyond working to correct all that went wrong during the Chargers’ 30-23 loss to the Ravens. Bosa said it was time to move on and prepare for the Falcons and all the difficulties they might present.
Mack and Bosa have been down this road plenty of times during their careers. They understand it’s possible to glide past the bumps and the potholes and emerge better for the journey. They also know it’s possible to get bogged down in the difficulty of the route from Week 1 to Week 18.
“I feel like that’s life,” said Mack, an eight-time Pro Bowl selection in his 11 seasons in the NFL. “Life comes with adversity and football is no different. You get hit with a lot of adversity. It’s about how you pivot and how you respond and that’s what we’re looking forward to this week, responding.”
Bosa, a four-time Pro Bowl selection in his ninth season, agreed.
“Watch the game, learn what we can and move on,” Bosa said of reviewing the game against the Ravens. “There’s still a lot of ball to be played. You can’t get held up on one game. You’ve got to move on and make the most of your next opportunity. It’s definitely crunch time. It’s important to win at this time of the year to get where you want to go, especially getting into a good place in the playoffs.”
Ah, the playoffs.
The Chargers shouldered their way into the playoff picture last year with consecutive victories over the New Orleans Saints, Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans and Cincinnati Bengals. Losing this past week to the Ravens could be a temporary setback or it could be a sign of trouble ahead.
It’s up to the Chargers to determine their next course of action.
Mack and Bosa, as veteran leaders, seemed to grasp that concept in separate interviews. It was apparent to them that a victory over the Falcons on Sunday would set them back on course for a playoff berth. But they also sensed that it wasn’t guaranteed by any stretch of the imagination.
The Chargers would need to roll up their sleeves and get back to work.
Letdowns will not be accepted.
“It makes it easier for you to sleep at night, when you know you have that accountability in the locker room as well as upstairs (with the coaches),” Mack said. “Everyone is on the same page. (Defensive coordinator Jesse) Minter came in and got it fixed. Now it’s all about Atlanta. There is a sense of urgency. It’s all about this week.”
When asked whether the Chargers’ defense got a wake-up call against the Ravens, Bosa said: “I talked about us all really needing to do our jobs and I think all of us, me included, got a little lazy with that. When it comes to tackling, obviously, they have great players. We kind of let them get rolling.”
If acceptance is the final stage of grief, and it is, then the Chargers would seem to be in a good spot going into their game against the Falcons. Mentally, that is. Physically, might be another story. The Chargers are battered and bruised at a number of key positions on both sides of the ball.
Running back J.K. Dobbins won’t play because of a sprained knee suffered in the first half against Baltimore. Denzel Perryman won’t play because of a groin injury and fellow linebacker Daiyan Henley is questionable because of a calf injury. Safety Alohi Gilman is out because of a hamstring injury.
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The good news, and there is good news for the Chargers when it comes to injuries, is that Mack and Bosa are rounding into form after battling groin and hip injuries, respectively. They have been playing with snap count restrictions in recent games, but those could be lifted Sunday.
“I know we’ve done a lot of good things so far this year, but if we don’t pull together and continue to improve we could really not like where we end up in a few weeks,” Bosa said. “A lot of people are sore and have injuries and this and that, but I think just continuing to take it one week at a time and staying focused and preparing the best I can is important at this time of the year. There’s a lot to be done. It is exciting to be playing meaningful football.”
CHARGERS (7-4) vs. FALCONS (6-5)
When: 10 a.m. Sunday
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
TV/radio: KCBS (Ch. 2); 98.7 FM; 105.5 FM/94.3 FM (Spanish)