When the Chargers finally get off the snip and win their first game of the season, it’s going to feel almost hard to believe given how brutal things have looked for Jim Harbaugh’s squad.
ESPN’s Ben Solak thinks that turnaround happens this week.
“I might think … the Chargers will win this week,” Solak writes in his prediction for Week 5.
Chargers Predicted to Win in Week 5 vs. Broncos
“Los Angeles finally looked respectable on offense in the second half against Seattle (do not ask me about the first half). Without two more backbreaking Justin Herbert interceptions, the Chargers would have had a totally acceptable day moving the football (despite three injuries on the offensive line). You can feel the running game starting to churn, and the defense also has elevated its play over the past two weeks. This week, they are home against a struggling Broncos offense. Keep an eye out.”
As hard to swallow as that is, the faint outline of Mike McDaniel’s offense is taking shape.
The stat sheet most definitely won’t show that, as they are sitting at 0-4, averaging a putrid 16.8 points per game (30th in the NFL) and barely pushing 289 total yards per week.
But past the baseline numbers, they showed their first real sign of life in the second half of their Week 4 loss to Seattle, putting up 23 points and executing a legitimate late push.
Justin Herbert, Ladd McConkey, and rookie Omarion Hampton are starting to form a foundational core, but until they stop shooting themselves in the foot early, calling it “progress” is a real stretch.
And all that was despite losing key offensive linemen like Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, and even McConkey reaggravating his foot injury in the third quarter. Herbert still went 14-of-17 for 159 yards and a touchdown in the second half.
“Responsibility? Yeah, I’m fully responsible,” McDaniel told reporters when asked if the offense was to blame for the 0-4 slump. Taking ownership is step one, but word play won’t fix a broken unit.
Still, showing signs of life in the second half is a step toward making good on that promise.
Broncos are the Chargers’ Only Real Chance to Win
They take on the Denver Broncos in Week 5, and the condition of their offense is only so much better than the Chargers’. Denver’s offense has been sputtering, making this match the exact kind of get-right spot Solak thinks the Chargers can exploit, if they can overcome their slow starts and build an early lead.
Denver’s first-half offense has been an absolute slog. They’ve managed just 13 total first-half points over four games, averaging an embarrassing 18.5 a night. When an opponent is sleepwalking through the first two quarters like that, it opens the door wide for a 0-4 Chargers team to stay close and steal a win.
It also gives McDaniel’s offense a golden window to stop the bleeding and prove they can actually finish a game.
The red flags are still everywhere, but Denver is easily their most manageable opponent on the horizon.
With Kansas City waiting in Week 6 and a matchup against the Rams right after the bye, dropping this one could spiral an 0-4 start into an insurmountable 0-7 hole before November even gets here.
ESPN Analyst Drops Rare Optimistic Prediction for 0-4 Chargers Ahead of Week 5