CARSON Jahleel Addae Color Rush Jersey , Calif. — Josh Rosen won a California high school championship at StubHub Center five years ago. He also played competitive tennis at the complex’s training facility while growing up in nearby Manhattan Beach.His first trip to the suburban stadium as the Cardinals’ rookie quarterback won’t join those fond memories.Instead, this 45-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers will loom as another low point in an increasingly rough year for Arizona (2-9).“It was nice coming back home,” Rosen said. “Last time I was on this field was the high school state championship game, so I have better memories than today. But we’ll keep pushing forward.”After jumping to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, Arizona was comprehensively flattened by the Chargers (8-3) in its third straight defeat. Players and coaches alike were left grasping for answers even while insisting they’ve still got reasons to keep working hard this season.“Guys are not doing the things that we’ve been coached to do,” defensive tackle Corey Peters said. “That’s frustrating, but we’re not going to be discouraged. … All I know how to do is put my head down and go back to work when things aren’t going right. I think that’s the best way to approach anything in football and in life. Just try to do your best.”The Cardinals have ensured their third consecutive non-winning season since making the NFC championship game three years ago, and they’ll need three wins in their final five games just to match this franchise’s worst record since 2003.The Cards realize they’re running out of chances to show progress in coach Steve Wilks’ debut season. Two weeks after staying close to the powerhouse Chiefs in a 26-14 loss, Arizona has dropped a home game to lowly Oakland and been routed in Carson.At least one unit is unlikely to take more heat than the other when Wilks reviews the film. The Cardinals were starkly outplayed on both sides of the ball.The Cardinals scored on their first two drives, yet Arizona finished with a measly 149 total yards against Los Angeles’ defense. After those two solid drives to start, the Cards got just 41 yards the rest of the way on nine drives, including a paltry 19 total yards in middle two quarters.Rosen was sacked only twice Uchenna Nwosu Color Rush Jersey , including one crushing hit by Joey Bosa, but he felt constant pressure.“I think you’ve got to give credit to the Chargers, but our first- and second-down plays weren’t that efficient, and it puts you in some tough third downs with a really good pass rush,” said Rosen, who went 12 of 19 for 105 yards with one self-described “really easy” interception.“When you’ve got Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram and those guys (coming at you), there’s only so much you can do in third and long,” Rosen added.The Arizona defense’s struggles perhaps were even more glaring: Philip Rivers tied an NFL record by completing 25 consecutive passes against the Cards while marching the Chargers to 45 unanswered points, including touchdowns on five consecutive possessions.“That was nuts,” Rosen said of Rivers’ perfect streak. “I went up to him after the game and I was like, `Bro, that was crazy.’ That’s why he is who he is.”With Rivers firing flawlessly through the Arizona secondary Craig Mager Color Rush Jersey , Los Angeles made six drives stretching at least 58 yards apiece. The Chargers controlled the ball for more than 20 minutes in the second half while Arizona made only four drives, getting 25 yards and one first down with 16 plays.“They had us running around a little bit, and we had a hard time stopping them,” defensive end Chandler Jones said. “Hats off to Philip Rivers. He played a tremendous game. He was picking us apart with little dink passes, short passes, and they hurt us. … I wouldn’t use the word `embarrassing’ at all. The Chargers are a professional football team, and they played like one.”Jones’ coach disagreed: When Wilks was asked if this one was embarrassing, he called it “definitely an understatement there.”“It definitely was embarrassing, definitely not what we want,” Wilks added. “This organization, that team in that locker room, these players and coaches Jason Verrett Color Rush Jersey , we’ve got to do better.” At the end of the day, was this Los Angeles Chargers’ season a success or not?Richard Wade: If you look at it in the context of what we expected from the Chargers prior to the start of the season, having the best record in the AFC and winning a playoff game has to be considered a success. However, if you focus more on what could have been given the talent level of the team and just how crushing their final game of the season was, it’s hard not to see the failure to meet their potential as the story of the year. If pressed, I think I would lean more toward the former than the latter, but I am definitely conflicted. Still, I would consider this season a successful one.Lou Gorini: This season was an absolute success because it continued to build on last years performance and showed progression instead of regression. People were high on the chargers but I’m not sure a lot of analysis had them winning 12 games this year. Also the Chargers were able to exercise some demons this year: beating Pitt and KC on the road, and advancing to the second round of the playoffs.Michael Peterson: Yes, I believe this season was a success. They increased their win total from 9 to 13 compared to last year and beat several teams that they haven’t in some time. They broke the win-less streak against KC, avenged some losses to the Steelers and Ravens, and tied the Chiefs for the best record in the entire AFC. Even with the expected rash of injuries to this team Denzel Perryman Color Rush Jersey , they exceeded expectations. I had them at 11-5 prior to the season. Rivers played some of his best ball (although he came back to earth to end the regular season). Younger players made strides in their second years and even some rookies splashed onto the scene. Even some veterans played beyond their expectations. The playoffs were a step forward. A playoff victory furthered that progress. It was their best season in a decade. I would call all of that a success.Ruben J. Gonzalez: This year has to be be deemed a successful year. For the first time in a long time, my Sundays ended with a good night’s worth of sleep. For a few seasons there, a fan lacked hope. That’s what I gained this year. Hope. Next year can easily become another nightmare - see Jacksonville- but all indications seem to point to this team trending upward. And that means an exciting off-season and draft researching around here. I will enjoy 2018 but be looking forward to next year.Mike Murray: If you had asked before the New England game I would have said yes, so I will stick with that answer. Yes because any 12 win season is a success. Yes because they played with swagger which is something we had not seen out of a Chargers team in a long time. Yes because they won games on the road that they were not supposed. Coaches Lynn and Bradley each had a good year. Adrian Phillips developed in to a talent. King got better. Michael Davis became a good starting CB. Derwin James exceeded expectations.Jason Michaels: A success? This was one of the best seasons I’ve ever seen! Yes, this was a rousing success, as the team only _built_ on the concepts from last year, proving no flukes in their late-season run. They showed us that a Chargers team that actually gets the bounces and the calls can be #1 seed in a similar year. They showed us what a competent field goal kicker can add. They showed that they’re not afraid to take risks or to face their biggest foes without blinking. This team’s got grit for the first time in a long time, and that’s why I’m optimistic about the next two years.Jamie Sewell: I think it was definitely a successful season. The team hadn’t made the playoffs since 2013, and despite being the offseason darlings and hyped as ‘under the radar’ Superbowl contenders for the prior 3 years, that had never really come to fruition. The hype was much the same this year, and there was more than enough talent to believe, but at some point you need some hard solid proof that the team is actually capable. We got that proof this year. It was a disappointing way for the season to end Antonio Gates Color Rush Jersey , but after going 12-4 and winning a road playoff game against a strong Baltimore team, the Chargers have firmly established themselves as a threat in the AFC. Rivers probably has two good years left in him. This season was about getting the window open; now they’ve got two years to try and get through it.Daniel Stebbins: I do believe the 2018 season should be considered successful. On a basic level, the team made the playoffs for the first time since they backed in with a win over the Chiefs backups in 2013. A 12-4 record with wins on the road against the Chiefs, Steelers, Seahawks and Ravens... can’t say I would have anticipated those wins coming in to the year, especially when all but the Seahawks game occurred after December began. Deeper than that, the team appears from the outside to be closer than I’ve seen, maybe ever. The long hashtag aside, they really do appear to be fighting for each other. The mentality and tone of the team has shifted, drastically. The team is also young enough in most places to reasonably conclude they won’t be regressing drastically in the near future. The playoff experience that they gained needs to be built on and improved next season, but I feel as though this season has to be viewed as a success.What do you think? Was this season a success? Let us know in the comments.