The 0-2 start was bad, but the injury update, or more like an injury announcement, from safety Derwin James threw the struggling Chargers a much-needed lifeline.
The Chargers star safety Derwin James sustained a fracture to his left pinky finger during the first quarter vs. the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 2. Everyone held their breath as he made his way off the field.
The team ruled him questionable for a return, too.
The collective sigh of relief was audible across SoFi Stadium as he came back to play with a cast and ended up racking up seven total tackles in the 26-14 loss.
Derwin James Delivered Huge, Positive Update on Injury
On Monday, James delivered another update on his fractured finger, saying he’ll continue playing with a cast for the remainder of the season, according to ESPN’s Kris Rhim.
Losing James, even for a couple of weeks, would have gone badly for the Chargers.
Harbaugh’s squad is struggling as it is with the new staffers and the adjustments that come with it. Even if they are not, it’s not showing in their game, as stacked penalties and missed opportunities cost them two games straight.
Losing James would have opened a whole other can of worms as the Chargers prepare to navigate what now looks like a nightmare-ish schedule from Week 3.
Los Angeles was already thin on the reliable, proven depth in the safety room as well, since Elijah Molden is nursing an injury of his own in Week 2, as was cornerback Deane Leonard.
The injury might be a bullet dodged, but the Chargers are far from calling it a day when it comes to immediate crisis.
The Chargers could have still made a case for themselves following the loss to the Cardinals. Perhaps they were just shaking off some rust. Perhaps it was just growing pains.
The issues were undeniably in front of everyone, yet the mighty expectations all offseason long could have given them some benefit of the doubt.
However, after another back-to-back loss, an equally bad one that highlighted their shortcomings, they simply have no defense against the glaring problems.
Derwin James Called Chargers Performance vs. Raiders ‘Trash’
Even James, who came back with a fractured finger to push through, admitted his team played “like trash.”
“We got to look each other in the eye, man, and just tell the truth and just get better,” James said in the locker room. “Because right now that (expletive) just looks trash. … I’m angry, but being angry don’t fix anything.
“Being angry don’t fix the problem that we have. We have to get it fixed. I feel like we’re a couple of plays away. It ain’t like we’re getting blown out. But we have to win these games, there’s no reason we’re going out there playing like that.”
Even Herbert joined in, owning up to the way the Bolts are playing at the start of the season.
“It’s just on us to be better,” quarterback Justin Herbert said. He also understands the urgent situation staring them down.
It’s not that 0-2 teams have not made the playoffs. They do every year. But only the ones who actually manage to fix the issues holding them back. So far, those issues with the Chargers look like a lot to sort through in one week.
“There’s no time for us to be patient with how we’re playing,” Herbert said. “It’s not good enough, so we have to be better.”
Chargers Dodge Worst-Case Scenario With Latest Derwin James Injury News