GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Following the Los Angeles Chargers' 17-15 loss to the Arizona Cardinals -- a game in which L.A. didn't score a touchdown -- many of the team's top players acknowledged the offense is holding the Bolts back.
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert said the "biggest takeaway" from Monday night's contest was that the team needed to be better in the red zone and at finishing drives. And all of the team's wide receivers huddled in the locker room for a discussion that revolved around being more consistent.
"I thought we did a lot of good things, but we've got to score points in the red zone," Herbert said.
"We've got to do a better job for our defense, for our special teams."
The Chargers made it to the red zone only once Monday and settled for five field goals from kicker Cameron Dicker, including from a career-long 59 yards in the first quarter.
Chargers wideouts DJ Chark, Joshua Palmer, Ladd McConkey, Simi Fehoko, Brenden Rice and Derius Davis gathered in the locker room afterward. Players said they discussed how their performance Monday night was disappointing and how they needed to be better moving forward.
McConkey had two drops. Jalen Reagor caught a 41-yard pass from Herbert in the second quarter that was nearly a score, but Reagor fumbled the ball into the end zone, resulting in a touchback.
"I think we can be a lot better," Palmer said. "We had a couple drops, a fumble. It's unacceptable in our group."
Palmer said it was important to converse right after Monday's game because it was a tough loss and the group morale was down.
"We just have to be more consistent," he said.
McConkey, who finished with five catches for 46 yards, was among the most disappointed players.
"It sucks," McConkey told ESPN. "I mean, you want to catch everything, and especially the ones that are out there, you've to make the plays for the guys around you. So, yeah, I'm for sure disappointed."
Herbert had his best game of the season, with 349 passing yards but no scoring tosses.
L.A.'s offense struggling to get points has been a theme of this season.
The Cardinals' defense also hadn't been impressive. Arizona came into the game allowing the sixth-most yards per game in the NFL (373.3) and the fifth-highest points per game (27.2). Monday's outing was the first in which the Cardinals didn't allow an offensive touchdown since Week 7 of 2021 during a 31-5 victory over the Houston Texans.
The Chargers haven't scored an offensive touchdown in the second half of a game since Week 1, and Monday night's performance was perhaps the unit's worst of the season.
The Chargers' defense, meanwhile, has been among the league's best, and while it was far from perfect Monday night, allowing a season-high 181 rushing yards, it yielded just 17 points. The Bolts have allowed 20 points or fewer in all six games this season, yet they are 3-3. The only team since 1980 with a worse six-game start in that scenario is the 2019 Tennessee Titans (2-4).
"There's a taste in the mouth. You got to suck it up. And not really much to talk about," Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said. "Nelson Mandela said, 'I don't lose. I either win or I learn.' And to me what that means is, you know, let's make sure we learn from things that happen and let that make us better as opposed to any kind of deflecting."