Los Angeles Chargers‘ frustrating start to the season continued in Week 2, as they suffered their second defeat of the season and are still looking to taste their first victory. The worst part is that the two defeats came against the teams that failed to reach the playoffs: Arizona Cardinals and the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Raiders beat the Chargers 26-14, making it the home team’s second consecutive defeat at SoFi Stadium. The Raiders defense, led by the star pass rusher Maxx Crosby, kept Justin Herbert and co. in check, limiting them to just 14 points. After his team’s brilliant show last night, the five-time Pro-Bowler is seemingly hyped up going into the next game.
“Done, NEXT. LFG!!!”, Crosby wrote on X.
LFG!!! 🦅🏴☠️🖤
Crosby’s team is set to take on the New Orleans Saints in the next game in Week 3, and they are off to a flying start under new head coach Klint Kubiak, winning the first two games of the season. Crosby didn’t have a statistically productive game after registering only one tackle and a QB hit.
On the other hand, the Chargers are in the opposite direction, and they must clean up a few things before facing a heavyweight like the Buffalo Bills in the next game, who are also 2-0 in the early part of the season.
The Chargers’ Offense Has Yet to Find Its Footing
After facing crushing losses against last season’s bottom-tier teams like the Cardinals and Raiders, Jim Harbaugh’s side will have an uphill task next week when they clash with Josh Allen’s Buffalo Bills, who are coming off an impressive win against the Lions by 41-31, and here are a few things that need to be addressed before heading into Highmark Stadium next week.
The offensive tackle Joe Alt had a forgettable game against the Raiders. The Pro Bowler was flagged four times, which disrupted the Chargers’ offensive plan last night. As a result, Herbert was sacked 3 times in the game. So, the OT must get back to his best.
When the former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel was hired as the offensive coordinator for the Bolts, he brought optimism to the team, but his creativity has yet to show on the field. With a star QB like Herbert leading at the center, the Chargers have managed only 14 points each game.
With the offense failing to find rhythm, things only got worse in the second week, as Herbert had 3 fumbles, 2 interceptions, and 3 sacks. The entire unit struggled to find rhythm against the Raiders, but things could get concerning against a powerhouse team like the Bills, and the Bolts have huge challenges ahead for the next seven games.
The Chargers’ Schedule Only Gets Tougher From Here
The Los Angeles Chargers have a truly gauntlet schedule for the upcoming few games. Unless the team, particularly the offense, shows significant improvement on the gridiron, the 0-2 record could get worse by midseason.
• Bills • Seahawks • Broncos • Chiefs • Rams • Texans • Ravens
There’s a very real chance Los Angeles could be staring at 0-9 by Week 11. 😳
After the Week 3 battle against the Bills, the Chargers are scheduled to take on the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks. Subsequently, their margin of error will only reduce when they face teams like the Broncos, Chiefs, Rams, Texans, and Ravens until Week 10.
With the road ahead getting inevitably more challenging, Jim Harbaugh has to find answers quickly to lead his team through the biggest NFL heavyweights.
Chargers Fall to Raiders as Maxx Crosby Sends 3-Word Message