The Los Angeles Chargers were one of the top teams with Playoff expectations in the offseason. ESPN’s Football Power Index gave the Chargers the fifth-highest odds to win the Super Bowl.
After Sunday’s loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, they might be out of the Playoff talks altogether unless they somehow manage to turn it around fast.
It’s not that 0-2 teams don’t make the playoffs. However, the Chargers issues run much deepr this season to expect a quick turnaround in the season.
Their showdown vs. the Raiders was supposed to be a bounceback opportunity for Harbaugh after their embarrassing start to the season vs. the Cardinals. Dropping to 0-2 with identical 26-14 losses to the Cardinals and the Raiders—two teams that finished near the very bottom of the league last year—has the panic alarms blaring in LA.
Mike McDaniel’s Offense Turning Out to be a Big Disaster for Chargers
The offense, carrying heavy expectations after bringing in Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator, stalled out due to killer miscues.
One stat in particular has slowed down the offense more times than Harbaugh would like to admit: turnovers.
Trailing by just three points late in the fourth quarter and driving across midfield, running back Omarion Hampton coughed up a costly fumble. Justin Herbert followed that up with a late interception, and the offense even botched a snap when a low exchange hit wide receiver Tre’ Harris right in the leg on a crucial third-and-short.
The Chargers committed three turnovers Sunday and potentially could have had more. They also had six fumbles, but Hampton’s was the only one that was lost.
“I have to take care of it, put both hands on the ball and be better for my team,” Hampton said.
McDaniels had a vision when he took over the Chargers offense, and the minor tweaks he made, including changing Herbert’s footwork to a shotgun stance. Herbert didn’t blink when McDaniel brought it up. In fact, he immediately dived into reps to change a habit that had been standardized in his game for years. Both praised the transition as smooth and seamless during the offseason and camp.
So far, the vision isn’t translating successfully.
Sitting at 0-2 with stalled drives, red-zone execution issues, and late turnovers still plague the offense. The mechanics might look clean, but the overall rhythm of the unit is still very much a work in progress.
Defense Fumbled a Chance at Bounce Back
The Bols defense did a decent job for most part on Sunday, handing just 305 yards of offense, including a meager 57 rushing yards on 29 carries to the Raiders.
The Chargers actually showed signs of life coming out of halftime, taking a 17-14 lead after Herbert hit Oronde Gadsden II for a 10-yard touchdown.
But the hopes vanished just as fast as they came.
The Raiders’ first touchdown came on a 40-yard pass to wide receiver Tre Tucker.
Tucker later hauled in a 42-yard reception late in the second quarter that led to a 59-yard Raiders field goal. Ultimately, the defense immediately surrendered to Kirk Cousins’ 27-yard pass to Dareke Young, giving Las Vegas a lead they wound’t give up and pull away.
Chargers, Jim Harbaugh Facing Immediate Crisis After Disastrous 0-2 Start