The Chargers were unable to win the first primetime game of the Jim Harbaugh era on Monday night as the Bolts fell 17-15 to the Arizona Cardinals. While the lack of an offensive touchdown (thanks partly to Jalen Reagor's gaffe) is concerning, the biggest story from Monday night is, yet again, the officiating.
Los Angeles was looking for one more defensive stop with a two-point lead late in the fourth quarter. The drive started promising for the Bolts, as Marvin Harrison dropped a second-and-10 pass attempt to make it third and long from Arizona's 30. Nothing was guaranteed, but the deck was stacked against the Cardinals.
That is... until the laundry hit the floor. Rookie cornerback Cam Hart was penalized for unnecessary roughness because his helmet ever-so-lightly grazed Harrison's. The impact was only noticeable via slow-motion replay, and it had absolutely no impact on the play itself.
But for the referees on Monday night, it was a penalty. This gave Arizona 15 yards and the momentum the offense needed to drive into field goal range and hit the game-winner. Just like that, Chargers fans feel as if a win was stolen right from beneath them.
This is NOT unnecessary roughness! pic.twitter.com/2uLghS1R6J
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) October 22, 2024
Referees giftwrap the game-winning drive to the Cardinals to sink the Chargers
It really is hard to understand what the logic is behind the penalty on Cam Hart. Sure, it looked as if Hart was leading with his helmet and on paper, leading with his helmet on a tackle is an unnecessary roughness penalty.
But don't you actually have to make contact for that to be a penalty? Sure, the optics of the play looked like it could have been bad if the crown of Hart's helmet connected with Harrison. But that is not what happened! Hart grazed Harrison, yet referees threw a flag on what could have happened.
Ironically, that same logic did not apply to the drive before when the Chargers could have had a chance to suck more clock and potentially score a touchdown. Wideout Simi Fehoko was completely held on a go-ball Justin Herbert threw to the endzone.
Granted, there seemed to be a miscommunication on the route as Fehoko didn't sell out to the go-route. However, it doesn't change the fact he was held and had absolutely no chance to reach said go-ball if he was trying to reach it. This obvious reality impassioned Jim Harbaugh on the sideline, and for good reason.
We are officiating based on what could have happened, right? If so, that was an obvious penalty that would have given the Chargers a first down and the chance to ice the game.
But hey, that logic doesn't apply to the Chargers for whatever reason.