Two weeks ago, the thought of Jim Harbaugh sitting in the hot seat would’ve sounded absurd. After a 0-2 start, he ranked No.3 on the latest list of coaches on the hot seat.
The issues staring down the Chargers roster are a bit too many to hope for another win in Week 3 vs. the Bills. Buffalo is already 2-0, and Josh Allen and his offense are on a streak solid enough that the Chargers might not be able to break given the dire condition Mike McDaniel’s offense is in.
The issues staring down the Chargers roster are piling up fast, making a Week 3 trip to Buffalo look like an uphill climb they aren’t equipped for.
Chargers’ Jim Harbaugh on Hot Seat
Another loss won’t shock anyone, but what happens next could severely test Harbaugh’s tenure in Los Angeles. CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan already sees the writing on the wall, placing Harbaugh No. 3 on his latest list of coaches on the hot seat
Sullivan saw it coming after their loss to the Ravens in Week 2, as he placed Harbaugh at No. 3 in his Top 7 NFL coaches on the hot-seat list. Only the Jets‘ Aaron Glenn and the Bucs‘ Todd Bowles have a seat hotter than Harbaugh, per Sullivan.
“Coming into the season, the Chargers were the sexy pick to win the AFC West and even to come out of the AFC,” Sullivan writes. “The theory was that they were getting their star offensive tackles back and that new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel would supercharge Justin Herbert. Through two games, it’s been an unmitigated disaster.”
Offense under Mike McDaniel has hit a complete wall. But Jim Harbaugh is facing the pressure first. It will eventually trickle down to McDaniel too, if he isn’t already.
The panic meter might go down for Harbaugh if they manage a few wins over the next few weeks, but their schedule makes it almost seem like a pipedream for the Chargers.
Chargers Next Wins, Or Losses, Decides Everything
“It won’t get any easier for Harbaugh either. Over the next seven games, the Chargers will play five teams that won a playoff game last season (Bills, Seahawks, Broncos, Rams and Texans). The only two who did not win a playoff game that they’ll see over this stretch are the Chiefs and Ravens, who have former MVP quarterbacks at their disposal.”
At the beginning of the offseason, Chargers would have been an easy pick out of most of these squads, but looking at how turnover-driven their offense got this year, it’s hard to tell if they’ll manage even a single win.
“Specifically, their next two games will be on the road at Buffalo and then at Seattle. That means 0-4 is truly on the table, and we could look up by Week 10 and see them well below .500 if they don’t get their act together.”
Week 5 won’t offer any relief either, with the Broncos and Rams waiting in the wings. If the floor does fall out from under them over the next couple of months, the entire operation’s future is in doubt, from the quarterback to the head coach.
“If the floor does fall out from under them over the next couple of months, the entire operation’s future is in doubt, from the quarterback to the head coach.”
Chargers’ Jim Harbaugh Hit with Inevitable Hot Seat Pressure After Early Struggles