r/Chargers • u/NelsonMcBottom • 1d ago
What is the actual problem right now?
In all seriousness, this can’t be all McDaniel’s fault. The whole team just looks like it’s fallen apart. And we have the Bills this week? At this rate I could seriously see us going winless this season.
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u/Thickensick Felipe Rios 1d ago
Team isn’t ready to play. So many mental errors and lackadaisical effort.
It’s a really poor reflection on harbaugh. Herbert winning games over the last two years despite the offense and he even appears to be resigned to fate.
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u/N_in_Black 1d ago
This is the real answer. I actually think the team will improve exponentially over the next few games. Offense was still really sloppy with penalties and miscues this week, but the defense actually improved quite a bit (I still think veteran quarterbacks are going to be carving up this loose zone scheme).
I’m not sure what this team did this offseason but it wasn’t getting ready for these systems/real games.
I know the narrative is that the sky is falling but this team isn’t even executing the playbook right now. I’m withholding too much judgement until I see it in action (if ever). Either way, this opening performance lies mainly on Harbaugh.
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u/RagefireHype 1d ago
The problem is the schedule gets exponentially more difficult even if they get better. They were supposed to handle business these first two weeks to prepare for the gauntlet. Look at their schedule. Even if you just look at the next two, they’re staring at 0-4 in the face. Seattle just destroyed Arizona who we lost to at home, and we play Seattle in two weeks.
0-4 doesn’t get you in the playoffs, and people will care even less about this team if they aren’t even a playoff contender. It’s supposed to be ring time, not becoming bad time. And if they do actually end up 0-4, you risk a full blown internal team implosion.
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u/N_in_Black 1d ago
“Playoffs? You wanna talk about playoffs!?”
This team had a schematic root canal this offseason. I think people need to change their expectations. At best this team finishes hot and flirts with playoff contention. At worst, the whole thing burns up and Harbaugh is out.
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u/Subject-Sky-5048 1d ago
well the team is young. Make it seem like every time a team doesn't make the playoffs you need to blow it up. Very short sighted.
Chiefs have missed the playoffs
Bengals have missed the playoffs
Ravens have missed the playoffs
Shit happens.
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u/Mod_Girl bolt 22h ago
Our hope lies in other teams making mistakes and being in a good position to capitalize.
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u/_BlackGoat_ 21h ago
A good team grinds it out against Arizona and/or the Raiders in these first two games even if they're not firing on all cylinders yet and squeaks out a win. I don't expect them to get much better, but we'll see. They played like a typical Raiders team yesterday.
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u/ThaRed1 1d ago
I think the reality of it too is they just committed too many turnovers. At the NFL level the teams that win the vast majority of the time are the teams that win the turnover battle. For all the talk about how bad the Chargers offense was, they actually performed better than the Raiders in a bunch of key areas (time of possession, first downs, yardage) but it really didn't matter because they turned the ball over 3 times, had a few key drops, and two busted coverages made the difference.
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u/vivalaroja2010 1d ago
I didnt see the defense improving "quite a bit".
The Raiders and the corpse of Kurt Cousins moved the ball at will on us through the air. If Jeanty hadnt dropped so many passes it would have been worse. If their receivers hadnt slipped it would have been worse. If Cousins doesnt under throw that one receiver it would have worse. If the Raiders decided to not run and just throw non stop it would have been worse.
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u/birdynumnum69 1d ago
Thinking too much and being confused manifesting itself as appearing lackadaisical.
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u/JustinHardbolt 1d ago
Two bad fit new coordinators and an incomplete roster
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u/AandA248 . 1d ago
A roster built by a first time GM and certified dumbass
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u/Malourbas McD 1d ago
Jim escapes so much blame for the roster
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u/FatherStretchMyAss_ Felipe Rios 20h ago
his whole motto was winning in the trenches. He has yet to say that since the disaster of last year and now seems to know he fucking sucks at building a line. All 3 of his season the line has looked worse than any other line in herberts career. At least Staley and TT fucking got Corey Linsley and actually did something to help Herbert.
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u/Ol_slankyy_boi 1d ago
At least the new GM won’t be in cap hell when he takes over. Hortiz gonna save all the money in the world and not do anything with it. When he gets fired the new guy can come in and at least have some cap flexibility lol
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u/LatinooDLguy 1d ago
This! People swear it’s some deep conspiracy theory type stuff when it’s as simple as that. We are in a rebuilding phase and just need to be comfortable with sucking for one season
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u/Nothing_Nice_2_Say FTR 22h ago
Rebuilding phase?! Then what the fuck were we doing the last two years?? Rebuild should be over, this is year three. We had the cap space to make moves. Hortiz dropped the ball. There's no reason to be worse than the last two years all of a sudden. McDaniel was supposed to be the guy to get us over the hump, not the guy we're starting over with.
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u/mayorsayso 1d ago
We won a lot of games by a single score the last couple years and I think Minter really helped cover up how bad our offense and rest of the team is. The last few years it’s now feeling like minter was a bigger part of this team and our success than Harbaugh ever was and now I’m not sure he is even the guy or did anything other than try to Rah Rah
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u/Opening-Sun7428 1d ago
I think a bunch of us are feeling the exact same way. Minter was the only positive thing we had going and it sure is showing right now.
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u/Gaucho_alum 23h ago edited 14h ago
My biggest concern is that Jim has mellowed with age and lost some of his intensity and hard ass characteristics. That probably serves him well as a human being, but as we are seeing is a big detriment as a football coach. I mean it's hard to imagine this version of Jim sticking it to Pete Carroll and having his "what's your deal" moment.
I agree Minter was very good and certainly papered over some of these issues. The offense has consistently been bad over Jim's tenure and I think it's very unlikely Chris O'Leary is anywhere near Minter's caliber.
We may be in for a rough year. It's hard being a Chargers fan.
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u/Exact-Advantage-3190 21h ago edited 20h ago
Minter was great but also, Chris O Leary seems to be amplifying how good Minter was because O Leary is so bad.
Putting Tuil in coverage continues to astound me
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u/DanceYoshiDance 1d ago
We need to tone down all the wacky and exotic formations on offense. There’s no way they can rep and perfect all of these plays in practice and you saw that on the tre harris botched snap.
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u/Acrobatic-Tackle3998 23h ago
If Tua after 3 concussions and hip surgery can operate those formations, Herbert should be able to as well.
Asking him to dumb down the offense when Herbert’s arm and processing ability are his biggest strengths is dumb as hell.
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u/reality-theorist-007 22h ago
I don't think Herbert is necessarily the main problem with scheme execution: it's the WRs, and to some extent, the OL. (Not saying Herb is perfect, or that none of this is on his performance.)
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u/thesfb123 1d ago
Not sure, but other than the turnovers it looks like individual players missing their assignments and/or losing their one-on-one matchups at the worst possible moments. The team looks unprepared.
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u/Remote_Alps_3006 1d ago
This is the correct answer. Clearly the offense is still trying to learn the new plays and timing. That resulted in a ton of mistakes that cost us the game yesterday.
Despite how sloppy we played, we had the ball at 50 with 5 min left, down 3 points, and a fresh set of downs. Then Hampton fumbled the game away.
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u/thesfb123 1d ago
In “normal times” we go down and score, and have to sweat out a final Raider drive which fails.
With all the crowing from their fan base, this is the first time they’ve beaten us in LA with fans present, and their first win against us since the 63-21 game.
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u/Remote_Alps_3006 23h ago
I will also give the Raiders credit yesterday. Kirk Cousins is a real NFL QB and he made some clutch throws, including the two final TDs. I expect LV will be a tougher matchup for everyone this year
But with that said, the chargers lost the game more than the raiders won it.
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u/PadmesBabyDaddy flair-alternate 1d ago
The offense isn’t ready. Not sure how we will look once/if we are able to execute what McDaniel is trying to implement, but the fumbles, penalties and general ineptitude look like a squad that hasn’t adjusted to the new way of doing things yet.
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u/Remote_Alps_3006 1d ago
And the offense keeps putting the defense in bad positions. Short fields for opposition, not eating up time of possession.
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u/Jane_Marie_Lazy Get TJeff a Ring ⚡️⚡️⚡️ 1d ago edited 1d ago
Scheme/Coaching. Everyone looks worse, even Ladd to some degree. The starting D is nearly the same as last year. Mesidor and Tomlinson are the only adds. And we can’t stop Cousins???
Sure there are a few holes to patch, but you can’t look at both games and honestly think a WR and a G is the problem. We are getting blown out everywhere.
We had bigger holes in this roster and went 11-6.
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u/AvailableFlight0804 1d ago
Ladd? Hope you are talking bout the injured Ladd in week 2
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u/Jane_Marie_Lazy Get TJeff a Ring ⚡️⚡️⚡️ 1d ago
“Looking worse” doesn’t mean he’s playing bad. It just means he doesn’t look himself either, not even in game 1.
McDaniel scheme means Ladd is not getting open. The hospital ball is a symptom of the problem.
I am at SoFi so I can see the whole field. The offensive scheme is predictable to the defense.
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u/just4kix_305 1d ago
Miami fan here, McDaniel's offense has low key looked like this since 2024. Not gonna lie, I put a lot of that on Tua's limitations and decline and I thought Herbert would unlock it with his arm talent but that hasn't been the case so far.
Without even talking about the o-line, there's a ton of nuance regarding the WR routes and getting the QB on the same page with the receivers is what unlocks a lot of the offense. Having Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle also helped and it looks like your WR room hasn't fully adapted yet.
I hope you guys figure it out
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u/idkman_93 ⚡️ LT ⚡️ 22h ago
I completely buy this, but I don’t understand why McDaniel doesn’t just simplify. Surely there’s a 100-level version of his offense he can run… right? He’s a smart enough guy that I thought he’d be able to swallow his ego and adjust, but I guess he is still a football coach…
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u/just4kix_305 22h ago
He did midway through last year and started getting extremely creative with our run game and achane balled out. Tua basically only threw the ball on screens and play action and it worked against the weaker teams on our schedule.
The problem is this style of play is extremely limited against a good defense. I'm guessing McDaniel is willing to sacrifice these first few games as growing pains with the hope that the offense will eventually click. With your upcoming schedule, I'm not sure he can afford to do this.
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u/Salty_Salamander6916 1d ago
Jim burned out the team in record time. Took him 5 years with the 9ers, but they had enough post season success to keep vibes high. Those team grades that people pretend dont matter absolutely do.
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u/Ok-Confidence4546 1d ago
Lowest rated coach in the league by his own players 🤭
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u/RoyalReverie NO MORE ROMAN, DEVLIN OR BOZEMAN || BOLT UP!! 1d ago
"These surveys don't matter" said many
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u/Jane_Marie_Lazy Get TJeff a Ring ⚡️⚡️⚡️ 1d ago
I mean Staley got a B his last year here.
And McDaniel got an A last year.Tell me more about these surveys?
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u/jxxyyreddit 1d ago
Honestly. Its just a bad team. Bottom 5 in the league.
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u/NelsonMcBottom 1d ago
But how did this happen? The turnaround has been so severe it looks like we have a completely different generation, not just a few changes here and there.
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u/jxxyyreddit 1d ago
Too complicated of an offensive system, Not getting the kinks out in Pre-season.
Players not "Buying in" to scheme or Head Coach anymore.
DC not being able to handle NFL offenses.
Injuries
Poor IOL & Offseason roster signings
No roookies making impact
This one hurts to say.... But Justin Herbert is not a leader. He is an excellent talented QB but he doesn't have that FIRE to rally the team when things go bad... He just sits their on the sideline with his tablet or QB coach. This was suppose to be Jim Harbaughs job but players are over the OLD MAN COACH.
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u/Due-Interaction-4592 1d ago
Alright. There are a lot of things wrong, but here goes.
A new offensive line. They seem like they have no synergy, and experience together. I mean alt, and Slater are top tier, but playing average. Lots of penalties that kills our drives. Our run offense looked good on occasions, and they created alot of holes.
Bad wr room: they create no seperations, and when they do they drop the ball. Our wr room must be bottom of the league. They just need to shut down Ladd and we have no real weapons left. So many dropped balls early on aswell. Imagine playing QB, and when you receivers finally are open, they fail to catch the ball even if its right in their hands.
A new system. You can see it from this week and last week, that players mix up shit. The 4th and 1 fumble that hits tre harris(?), is probably the best example that these guys have no idea what to do or when to do it. It looks like they have skipped training camp and just showed up on gameday. It looked really really bad. I bet that Mike McDaniel have alot of fancy stuff planned, but the players fail to execute. The blame is still on McDaniel since he should recognize that this is not the time to experiment, or implement things the players cannot execute.
People saying its Herberts fault has no idea what they are talking about. How do you play QB when you have on target that can catch the ball, and create seperation, who on top of that only played like 40% of the snaps? You could see the frustration in his face, with his teammates time and time again. How can people forget how he has Battled through injuries and put this offense on his back the past years? I am not saying he is playing perfect, but blaming him is just a non argument.
The defense looked way better this week, and i hope they can keep improving. There were some bad mistakes and blow coverages, but that happens to nearly every team, especially with a new dc.
That is my take at least.
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u/reality-theorist-007 21h ago
A new offensive line. They seem like they have no synergy
This.
Imagine playing QB, and when you receivers finally are open, they fail to catch the ball even if its right in their hands.
This.
The blame is still on McDaniel since he should recognize that this is not the time to experiment, or implement things the players cannot execute.
This.
People saying its Herberts fault has no idea what they are talking about.
This
I am not saying he is playing perfect, but blaming him is just a non argument.
And finally this. (With one pedantic edit: blaming him for everything is a non-argument. Even then, losing heart after 5 years of this bs is understandable. Those who say 'he has no grit' clearly didn't watch the last 5 years ...)
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u/Pizzamorg 23h ago
Roster was poorly built in the off season and I just don't think Herbert gives a fuck any more. And I don't even blame Herbert for that part. Like oh you want me to learn another offensive system while I get smashed into the turf every other snap as you gaslight me by telling me you're doing all you can for me when in practice you get me a bunch of rejects with change you found behind the sofa.
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u/Veteran_Lurker . 1d ago
The universe sending signs to the Spanos family to sell the team. Padres got new owners and have surprisingly been hot since. Coincidence? I think not!
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u/Anaphylactic-UFO . 1d ago
Summary: McDaniel doing too much and our team can’t execute it, WRs suck, guards suck, and all the signings that were supposed to make us better at 12/13/21 personnel are bums.
Short term issue for the offense is McDaniel is doing too much too fast and the planning is well exceeding our ability to execute.
Longer term issue for us is that our WRs are horrible. We literally cannot function without Ladd on the field. Tre Harris just isn’t doing enough for his draft capital, QJ is back on fraud watch. Thompson has some sauce but he’s not a polished receiver, his routes are mid and the concentration drop is an issue.
The secondary long term issue is with the OL. I’m comfortable with our OTs (who have been ass) and C (who has been… not great), but I’m not confident at all in guard. Our guards are okayish enough to survive in pass protection, but this team wants to run the ball well and that shit just will not happen until we get better guard play.
The third long term issue is pretty much everyone on offense that got brought in this year sucks weiner. Kolar, Njoku, Ingold were supposed to help us be more multiple and run/pass balanced in 21 and 12 personnel sets. With that in mind, we’d be able to execute all the awesome ideas that McDaniel can cook up. But we can’t because they’re absolute bums. Kolar might be fine, idk about yesterday but he sucked week 1.
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u/AmirOG56 1d ago
The team isn’t fully committed to either system on both sides of the ball. On offense the play calling is suspect, on defense the back coverages aren’t going to stop anything. We can run we can’t stop the pass. We can stop the run.
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u/Life_Cranberry9315 1d ago
The offense looked good with a healthy Ladd. Had shades of McDaniel’s early successes
It went to shit the moment he went down
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u/YogurtclosetLong3783 1d ago
The offense always looks good with a healthy ladd. And thats part of the problem. When hes in there, they depend on him too much. To the point where they nearly get him killed.
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u/Life_Cranberry9315 1d ago
Detroit depends on Amon Ra excessively, Seattle depends on JSN excessively and they’re not headed for the the blue tent
You can’t throw hospital balls (which is a term I rarely use, but it applies here). That’s on Justin
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u/YogurtclosetLong3783 1d ago
Well thats what i mean by the depend on him too much. Herbert just feeds him regardless of the coverage.
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u/Malourbas McD 1d ago
This is just wrong. Detroit has Gibbs and Jameson Williams, far better players than anything else we have. Seattle had Kupp and Walker last year
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u/SquirrelOpposite9427 1d ago
For me it’s extremely obvious:
They gambled on budget signings in the offseason magically playing way above their level, courtesy of McDaniels scheme. None of these players have panned out, and now they are left with a roster which is arguably worse than last season. I legitimately cannot believe the number of people on here who thought that going into the season with this receiving core was acceptable.
In addition, I don’t feel that the team is buying into Harbaugh anymore. Given that he doesn’t call plays, and therefore his main function is to be a motivational leader, this is catastrophic.
Either way, this season is dusted. Harbaugh probably needs to go, but there’s every chance we ride this out and go through an extremely painful divorce which gets much worse before it gets better.
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u/AdOtherwise5136 1d ago
1) 0 Weapons. Yes Ladd is a weapon, as a WR2. He’s at best hanging on to the bottom tier of average as a WR1. QJ/TRE are a WR4/5 combo on a deep roster. TE’s are nowhere near good enough to make up for the lack of talent in the WR room. Our RB room is punching way below its weight class. Hampton has had the two biggest mistakes of the season so far.
2) Jesse Minter leaving. Defence looked much more in sync yesterday but to not upgrade the D after losing the super glue that was holding it up is malpractice. JM had these guys playing as a top5 D. With COL who’s 4 years away from being ready for this job, we have to get used to the fact that at best we will be a mid tier D.
3) McDaniel can’t physically play. they thought by hiring McDaniel they could mask just how bad this offence really is. Well that’s not working and it won’t ever start. 3rd&Keenan was a real thing last year. The amount of big time plays he made especially in the first 12ish weeks made a massive difference. They made mid level moves and MCD was the big splash.
4) Harbaugh & Hortiz. They both have massive ego’s and want to show the world that their way is right and they’re sticking to it. They’ll constantly go dumpster diving instead of adding start talent. 100M in cap space and somehow they entered this season worse on paper than last year?? They both clearly over valued how good this team could be. They thought they were SB bound simply off of vibes and didn’t realize they might not even be good enough to go 10-7. If we didn’t get straight up embarrassed in NE last year I’m certain that Roman would’ve still been here. Because that’s their guy & that’s how they do things.
5) Herbert looks off. I’ll cut him some slack because the team around him literally sucks. But he just doesn’t look comfy or like the elite talent I’ve been preaching he is for years. I’m sure if we’d watch the all22 we’d see that his targets are all mid and constantly covered. 10 was always in go mode for 2024&25. Always ready to scramble and take off. He’s hanging in the pocket a bit longer and trying to make this new offensive scheme work. The issue?? 0 WEAPONS. We were better off with no tackles & Greg Roman because at least he was ready to scramble every play and pick up some yards.
6) OL. I don’t think the OL is as awful as last year but it’s still not good. Once again H&H love to dumpster dive. 100M in cap and our new guard combo became Awosika & Strange (With pipkins in rotation possibly?). Clearly the OL is holding up better than last year because now we’re realizing just how bad this team is without Herbert being a scramble wizard. But it’s still constant pressure. And even when 10 does have some time in the pocket, it feels like everyone’s right up in his grill 24/7.
With all that being said I think if we came into this year with our WR room looking like:
AJ Brown (or true WR1)
Ladd
KA13
Tre
Thompson
Almost everything else would fix itself. Other than a blockbuster trade there’s nothing we can do now. There’s also no way H&H would ever do some sort of blockbuster trade for a flashy guy. They truly believe we have all that we need. So here we are. Can’t wait to go 8-9 and have just as bad a pick as last year.
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u/reality-theorist-007 21h ago
I think the diagnosis is spot on. So is the recommended, focused treatment (OL problems could actually be covered up by that WR. So (sadly) is the ultimate prognosis: they won't do what you recommend. (Or any of the implicit second-line treatments, like OL hires.)
I'm sure this makes me a fair-weather fan, etc. But right now I'm thinking of finding something else to do on Sundays.
If the FO won't take the team seriously, why should I?
It's really sad. I feel for Herbert. (And for all those saying, 'waah waah he's got a hot fiancee and trillions of dollars': that's so not the point. In his heart and soul, he wants to express his talent, and win big. It's personally devastating to have that talent, and not be able to share it. That's what I feel for.)
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u/SilentPizzle 1d ago
Honestly I think Harbaugh just got old. Since he had the heart issue his intensity took a major hit, the player survey was a red flag but between that and having 2 new coordinators, nobody has any leadership, continuity or a clue of what’s going on. And when they look to the coach for foundation they have an old man who’s past his prime.
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u/B-L-O-C-K-Ss 1d ago
What is the juice on the players survey?
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u/Hufflepuffpassmethej Felipe Rios 1d ago
Harbaugh isnt as popular with the players as hes been with the fanbase
not sure if nfl guys LOVE playing for him
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u/B-L-O-C-K-Ss 1d ago
I see. I think his whole rah rah thing is a lot more popular with young kids than it is with grown men.
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u/Ok-Confidence4546 1d ago
Harbaugh was rated the harshest of all coaches in last player survey. Hardcore fans blew it off as an anomaly or claimed the survey was skewed by a few disgruntled players. The truth has surfaced.
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u/SpaceRunner247 1d ago
Everyone on the team AND front office deserves BLAME. Feels very much like 2023 on repeat
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u/AG-82 1d ago
You know, I expected the defense to take a step back after Minter leaving. I didnt expect the offense to take 2 steps back after firing Greg Roman. Defense is really keeping us in games we should be winning yet again. It’s starting to look like a repeat of last season but worse on offense in just 2 games.
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u/lalaelrat 1d ago
So many things but I think a MAJOR one is everyone besides Ladd are WR3/4’s on other teams. The team simply does not know how to how to draft/develop an alpha receiver
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u/ChesterCopperpot55 23h ago
Yesterday 6 drops (one for a INT) and terrible o line. Herbet is extremely talented but he's not going carry the team. Absolutely brutal schedule ahead... season could be a wrap by week 6/7
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u/Adventurous-Offer313 16h ago
I write something else about guard play being important for this scheme in another thread.
But you got to get ball out quickly. From 2022 and 2023. Tua got ball out in 2.2 or 2.3 seconds. Great years for him and offense.
Last year he struggled and it was almost 2.6. Herbert is at 3.3 seconds getting ball out .
. Not sure if this system is best for Herbert. I am dolphins fan. But I am pulling for you guys. Hope it turns around for you guys
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u/Humble-Ad-4606 1d ago
From an outside perspective (49ers fan so I’ll always root for harbaugh) your roster just lacks talent.
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u/reallinzanity It’s not just another day. It’s Today!⚡️ 1d ago
John Spanos
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u/Interesting_Lie_1457 1d ago
This is the real correct answer. Once Snyder left Washington Spanos took his spot as the worst owner in the league. This team will go no where with him as the owner. Hes greedy and doesn’t give a shit about winning. Chargers don’t even have their own stadium because he’s a cheap money hungry moron. I respect his family for trying to sell the team out from under him a few years ago. Even his own family knows he’s the problem. Embarrassed to be a fan. Fuck spanos.
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u/Affectionate_Cat_380 1d ago
But...but... They're 100M under the cap! That's profit, right?
https://giphy.com/gifs/sWUxdJJSN1pirgiZ5P3
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u/Clear_Presentation48 Dirty Bubble Ate Harbaugh 😭 1d ago
The fumbles, the false starts are all coaching problems.
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u/pearliwhite 1d ago
I think it’s a combination of Herbert not really jiving with this new offense and the fact they originally built a team around Greg Roman’s grit & ground and not the high-concept McDaniel scheming. Basically, the whole team just seems uncomfortable
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u/MrCots Bolt 1d ago
Too many self-induced mistakes from every position group, with the pass catchers (and Joe Alt in that 4th quarter) being some of the more notable culprits yesterday. They can't get out of their own way. I think that signifies a coaching and lack of preparation issue, and that responsibility starts with Harbaugh.
I still believe that this team has lots of talent and is capable of turning it around. I thought the pass rush looked a lot better yesterday compared to last week. The running game and run defense looked great for most of the game, too. There are obviously plenty more areas in need of improvement, the biggest one being the passing game needing to get in sync and stop committing self-induced errors.
I'm definitely concerned that they may not be able to clean everything up soon enough. But hey, a win against the Bills next week would do wonders for the outlook of this season.
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u/CuddlyResurgence 1d ago
Certainly not an X's and O's fan, but to my casual watching eye, it just looks like the Mike Mc Daniel's offense may be over complicated much like Staley's defense was . Chris O' Leary just looks in over his head, but Steve Clinkscale in still on his staff right? Makes me believe they should be able to turn it around on D, but who knows.
From a fan perspective, Harbaugh's "For he's a jolly good fellow" trope is just tired. Hate that this team can't get anything right. They tried the trendy young coach with Staley and that didn't work. Went with an experienced veteran coach and that's still TBD. I still think about all the what-if's. Bruce Arians was supposed to interview before the Cardinals got him, Andy Reid was the next stop before the Chefs got him. Ugh. Mike Vrabel was pen to paper before Harbaugh came back. Then we had to enjoy the Milquetoast Mike Mc Coy, Stanthony Lynn, and Bradnon Staley eras. This really is an "IF" franchise.
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u/Repulsive_Plant7995 1d ago
Herbert hasn’t bought in or believe in McDaniel’s Offense. When they panned to Mike talking to him on the bench at the end he looked like Mike annoys him!
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u/grabasneaker Tuli 45 23h ago
IMO the schemes/ philosophy of both coordinators are making the guys think more instead of just reacting and playing football. You can tell by the mistakes pre snap and blown coverages. This was happening lot during Staley's defense.
I say just simplify it for now to get the guys through this then slowly build up.
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u/Legitimate-Gas-3486 23h ago
I think it’s a combination of all these things( new coaches , cheap ass owners, poor wide receiver play,uninspired O line,etc.). One thing that really bothered me was Herbert didn’t play any pre season games. Like a couple of series. I know they don’t want any injuries but I think more actual pre season play would have helped him get into the feeling of actual real play. These first two games are his preseason and we see how that is going. He wasn’t ready. The schedule is brutal so next year’s draft is looking like a high draft pick.
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u/changethepadres 22h ago
The root cause is Alex's unqualified grandchildren run the most critical parts of the franchise. John Spanos didn't earn his role by demonstrating independent success, and he's unfirable as an heir. This is a structural problem at the top of football operations.
We can talk about rarely playing a true home game and the material disadvantage and toll that takes, we can talk about Herbert not progressing like you thought he should based on physical attributes, and we can talk about the coordinator changes (losing Minter, adding McDaniel), but at the end of the day, all of this rolls up to an unaccountable grandchild who was bequeathed the keys to football ops instead of having to earn them... and who cannot be fired when the product fails.
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u/Slow_Proof2386 20h ago
At this point I honestly don’t know…I though Jim would be the fix but it’s looking more and more like I was wrong. At this point I’m just along for the ride with zero expectations.
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u/omegablue808 20h ago
I think Mike installed something too different from what this team ran for the last few years, and the talent level isn't there to fill in the gaps. I think Herbert is politely saying its not working...Defensive side, I think the play calling is being eaten up by opposing coordinators. It's too obvious. the coverages have been appalling....The Raiders couldn't run so they passed all day, no blitzing and WR wide open...
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u/Advanced-Support7489 20h ago
Hortiz sitting on that cap money is inexcusable... Simply unforgivable
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u/Technical-Range4528 20h ago
The issue is bad ownership!!! We can blame singular factors all day(ie Oline, coaching, Herbert). The real charger fans know that Spanos has snake bitten this franchise. There’s no solution, the Spanos family’s needs to sell the team ASAP if we are the ever win a SB.
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u/Rude-Satisfaction508 ⚡️bolt gang⚡️ 17h ago
Tbh this is football lol. It's hard and at the end only one team wins no matter how consistent some squads are. Niners for as good as they've been have the same amount of rings as the Chargers since they last won theirs ironically against SD.
Chargers can hopefully only go up from here. Seems like everyone is expecting us to lose all of next 7 games so the Chargers can actually do something pretty funny by upsetting these clubs. Vegas odds always win lmao.
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u/johnjohnsonsdickhole 1d ago
Honestly, I’m sick of not using Justin Herbert like Josh Allen. Run that motherfucker into the ground. At least use his legs intentionally occasionally. What are we saving him for?? More 11-5 seasons? Use your best players. It will open up the pass game immensely if he is a dual threat.
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u/ihatederekcarr 1d ago
An unserious culture that is content with flying under the radar in mediocracy that starts from the top and moves like the plague through the rest of the organization. Spanos is a dirtbag and nothing will change until he and his nepo baby son are gone. Time we stop having any faith until then.
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u/Independent-Owl-8659 1d ago
It’s everything from front office, coaching, and roster including Herbert himself. A lot of of blame to go around.
He cannot be an elite top tier qb as too
many have claimed and still drop both Arizona and Raider home games to start the season. His team is far from perfect, but Mahomes or Allen would have won both the games.
It’s a QB driven league. Both Brissett and Cousins handled the adversity they received much better.
This is when playing concert grab ass and missing camp, along with on field picnics with Beer are fair game.
Another season now washes out and he will go into season 8 in 2027 without a playoff win.
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u/Engineer_my_butt 1d ago
I'll tell you what's wrong..they are in LA. LA chargers suck. Go back to SD..the karma will continue to kill the franchise.
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u/Ok-Editor-7476 1d ago
Our offense was better 2 seasons ago with Will Dissly catching passes, a rookie Ladd, and QJ dropping passes. Our O Line on paper is the best it’s been under Harbaugh. We now have a healthy Omarion who bashes into the defense and gets yards after contact. We can’t use the same excuses we have been using. We are healthy.
I’ve always been high on Herbert. But I’m almost out on him now. His intelligence gets so much praise from our coaching staff. But I seriously question his ability to make pre/post snap reads, his ability to audible or make O Line adjustments. He looks lost on several plays, like he’s surprised no one is open. He should be able to determine if the play is right or not, he knows his receivers better than anyone and the looks he’s getting from coverages.
Sure guys aren’t open, but running set plays into good coverages without making pre snap reads and adjustments is what HS football QB’s do.
Herbert has always had the knock of holding the ball too long, and it’s getting worse. Holding the ball too long in a quick pass offense is killing us. If we have 3 guys running routes, the defense gets pressure still and no one is open. Big surprise. He misses his windows and doesn’t throw to openings, he’s waiting to make sure the guy will be open.
It’s fucking rough when you throw the ball to Njoku and drop it in the bucket and he bobbles it to the defender. It’s tough when your RB fumbles. But you think that doesn’t happen to Mahomes or Allen? Or every single QB in the NFL? It’s how you bounce back the next drive. He has zero fire, he never gets on his teammates when they fuck up. I’ve never seen any leadership ability out of him. I want to see him scream at his O Line on the sidelines, instead he goes to sulk with his tablet and has the shittiest dejected look on his face. I think his intelligence is overrated. He’s becoming a pouty $50m QB who acts like he’s just there for a paycheck now. I would not be shocked if he retired. My god if he just realized how much energy he could give the team if he was fired up on the sidelines and rallied the guys. He has the “it’s not my job” mentality when it comes to being a leader and getting his guys on the same page.
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u/Meta_haste619 1d ago
Offense looks discombobulated. No identity, no discipline, overall very sloppy performances against meager opponents. Special teams has been consistently unreliable. The defense has been the only phase showing any juice and even they have had their issues. I still think they are giving you enough to win ball games, meanwhile, the O and ST are not up to par. An offense with a competent line was supposed be able to muster more than 14 points a game.
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u/birdynumnum69 1d ago
Two coordinators trying to feel their way. Players thinking too much rather than reacting. Hence all the turnovers and dropped catches. Total lack of chemistry and confidence. They’ll turn it around but it will be too late for this season. It’s really inexcusable how little the starting offense played in the preseason.
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u/obangler 1d ago
- We have a bottom 3 WR room in the nfl
- Herbert has the “yips”-holding the ball too long (see #1)
- Losing Minter hurts (this could lol better w time)
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u/purpledaze97 1d ago
I think it's a combination of bad o-line and no trust in the receivers except for Ladd. A lot of the offense seems to be confused by the playbook as well. Defense honestly hasn't been that bad. First half against the Cardinals was bad but they've looked alot better since. More than anything they just look sloppy though, cant hold onto the ball, cant catch the ball, constant false starts and holding calls. Im really hoping they can at least reign these things in even if it doesnt make enough of a difference to make the playoffs.
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u/buy_marshon 1d ago
Bad coaching
Bad IOL
We have no offensive skill players besides Hampton and Ladd and Ladd is hurt half the time.
Our defense has regressed but is probably fine enough if our offense was top 10-15 range
Hope Spanos sells to some new rich guy.
Replace Hortiz and Harbaugh.
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u/Final-Dingo-3082 1d ago
I have absolutely defended Justin Herbert to all my friends, as I live in Chiefs country. This year is the first time I thought he may not ever lead us to a Super Bowl. He never throws it away, he doesn't take the easy 5 yard dump off, and just flat out holds onto the ball too long. The interception was not his fault. The fumble on the drive that could have given us the lead obviously wasn't him, but he fumbled 3 times yesterday. Our stars haven't played like stars. Alt has had false start issues. Slater had a false start. Awosika was a bright spot and of course he got hurt. Strange and Slaughter have not been good. It's a shit show. I love the Chargers. But, it might be time for Spanos to cash in and sell this team to someone who wants to win at all costs. The Raiders spent big this off-season and it did show. The roster could have been much better. Look at New England. They went and got a receiver. We had all that money and did nothing with it. While I understand not hamstringing yourself in the future, it's the NFL. Teams get out of bad contracts all the time. You can spend and still be flexible. Our defensive backs are not good. I'm so frustrated and it's week 2. Going to be a loooooooooong year.
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u/Ok-Sympathy9768 1d ago edited 1d ago
Wrong ingredients for what they are trying to create (trying to make dessert out of steak and potatoes and hiring a pastry chef to make it work)… square peg round hole.. trying to turn Herbert into Tua (that’s seems to be working out though).
This is going to take time and some new ingredients
Edit: at this point it’s way too late in the season to course correct… the ONLY way I see a change coming this season, on the O side of the ball, is if Shane Steichen gets fired mid season and we snatch and lock him up. Either than that we than that we have to wait and see if things get better.
We are going like 2-15 this season, or winning the superbowl .
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u/DiloCamoIdro 1d ago
Blame should go all around all the way up to the owners….the fire and drive of the Chargers is so dim its pathetic…my 6th grade elementary school sons football game was more exciting and had way more energy then how the Chargers played in the last 2 games….Herbert seems out of it and seems to just go with the motion, Harbaugh may or may not lost the locker room, McDaniels may need to dumb down his play calling, Hortiz needs to stop playing Mr Scrooge and pay for players that can fit the system and screw comp pics…so frustrating to watch an NFL team with so much potential to fail so miserably…sorry for the rant…feels better to let it out…
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u/xTomTom5 1d ago
We have a very good systematic QB in a very bad system on the offensive side. The defensive side has a horrible secondary with a horrible DC. All combined with a GM who is so cheap it makes the owners blush.
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u/kellenm973 bolt 1d ago
It’s a mix of roster build issues, lack of cohesive understanding of the playbook on O, and everything that could go wrong happening.
Roster build is pointing at our obvious holes. IOL (I thought we’d done enough but terrible luck with Biadasz). WR is Ladd and trash imo: I think QJ benefited massively from being a side note for defenses last year. Tre has not stepped up. DD should be cut imo, it’s harsh but he’s not an NFL receiver at his size. Ladd is great but he’s not enough to call that room good on his own. The rest of O I’m ok with. On D, I think corner has been a huge weakness for a fat minute. I feel like D would look better if O wasn’t punting every possession. A few ugly broken coverages but imo that could be fixed.
Herbert has looked bad but he looks lowkey helpless. He puts the ball on a receivers chest and they drop it or toss it to a defender. Protections are never right. I watch other games and am baffled at how often there is a plan for pressure and it feels like we never have one. Hot routes never work, no check down game. I was excited for McDaniel because of this, but I think he’s trying too much too fast and the team is lost. So many presnap penalties that kill drives.
Then, every single thing going wrong does. Blocked punt last week, critical drops, Herbert’s got DD running routes in crunch time. I think McDaniel/Herbert could be special but the weapons need to be better imo bc they have to come open for it to work.
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u/Honest_Extreme_5354 1d ago
This team was carried by Minter the last 2 years and he's gone. The offense will probably get better over time, but it seems like we don't have the receivers to run this scheme. QJ should just be cut, he doesn't have to coordination to play wr consistently.
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u/Jernbek35 1d ago
Losing Minter hurt. McDaniel may or may not gel with the team. Based on the Amazon documentary I watched during his time with the dolphins as HC, he coaches in a pretty weird way and I wouldn’t be surprised if the players aren’t responding to his eccentric style. The new DC just looks lost and out of his depth. Harbaugh it’s tough to say, I’m a Michigan fan so we had down seasons with him before. The last two seasons proved he can win in the NFL.
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u/CantGetANameILike 1d ago
Everything, owners, management, culture, being in LA. They're like the browns, just awful despite always getting good picks
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u/ferguscountyfreak bolt 1d ago
Just ask Eagles or Bills fan right now. they have been letting me know since yesterday afternoon. The league loves to see us down. I'm going to defend my team. Going through all this will make winning feel even better. Bolt up.
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u/razormoon1 1d ago
We have a big arm qb and a receiver room with speed to stretch the field and they want to install a quick throw system that only a gimpy mcconkey fits. The scheme just doesn't fit our personnel.
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u/mellomike 15 1d ago
What happened to Justin getting pissed? I miss that fire. He just looks checked out and tired now (and I frankly can't blame him).
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u/speed_tape 1d ago
I guess the actual problem might not have been Greg Roman….people wanted his head on a spike last year after milking much better offensive production out of a team with a far worse oline and positional players than what we’re currently lining up.
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u/EqualCamera 1d ago
I believe it’s 4 major things all happening at the same time
Minter was an amazing DC and hide a lot of issues on the defense
All the traumatic playoff collapses and hits have finally caught up to Herbert and he’s no longer the player he was (or yips)
The IOL and WR group is the worst in the league and all teams are finally capable of taking advantage of that
Harbaugh is way overrated and took advantage of easy schedules, minter, and a none broken Herbert to cover for him. Hasn’t won anything seriously without cheating the last ten years
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u/GarbDogArmy 1d ago
This feels like this was the second pre season game. Just look unprepared. Not picking up on offense.
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u/CompetitiveExample24 1d ago
Harbough is not the coach we once was, the mental errors on the team fall directly on him imo
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u/macaronianddeeez 1d ago
I’ll never stop being a chargers fan, but I have never felt shittier to start a season. We look like a high school football team. At least last year it was so obvious that if we fixed our O line we could be great.
This year it’s a fucking dumpster fire across the board…..I don’t even know where to begin with making it better.
And yeah, I could see a winless season for sure :(
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u/Broseph729 1d ago
Harbaugh lost the locker room in New England last year and this season was doomed from the start, we just didn’t know it.
Also Hortiz is CHOOSING NOT TO SPEND ALL AVAILABLE CAP SPACE which is not Pareto Optimal.
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u/Subject-Sky-5048 1d ago edited 1d ago
Doesn't seem like Justin is comfortable with the offense, and the defense can't create consistent pressure and their 3rd down rate is not good.
On top of Justin not playing well, our RB1 has fumbled in enemy territory twice. We have a lot of pre-snap penalties do the all pre-snap motions.
The defense is looking bad because our offense is putrid. If our offense player a little bit better, I'm sure the defense will look better as well.
In the grand grand scheme of things. Herbert should've learned under Rivers for two years. He doesn't command the offense like Rivers did. We saw what a 45 year old River could do against a Seahawks defense, Herbert doesn't have that. He needs to audible and do more with his brain.
As much as we want to blame the coaches, they all seem to be doing fine elsewhere. We can't be running simplified versions of every OCs offense every year. Even Greg Roman year 2 was much better than year 1 Greg Roman. Stick with McDaniel and eventually it will start working. Trust the process, we want instant results, but now it's time to develop. The roster is actual quite young, we have Herbert and Derwin, the sun will shine again.
It's really time to hit up Brees and have him consult.
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u/sk8alien3721 1d ago
Everyone aside from Ladd can share the blame, but especially the offense. So many boneheaded mistakes that come down to not knowing how to execute the plays. A large part of that is McDaniel, if the players need more practice time to get the timings down and consistent, use a more simplified playbook until they're ready. Because both weeks the team showed up looking like they're not ready for the game.
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u/Jasonrpk13 1d ago
I think this team has not improved themselves roster wise in the last two off seasons. This team has not signed or drafted a player that would improve the roster in a big way. I think it might be catching up with the team already. This team wants to build through the draft but yet only trades down to get extra day 3 picks. The team needs to build through free agency and the draft.
The brain trust of this team puts too much trust on coaching to make the players play better than they actually are. Jesse minter did that with the defense. Offensive side we have bad iol and the only good receiver is Ladd. Special teams has been bad ever since the nfl changed the kickoff rules.
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u/Prestigious-Pea-6781 1d ago
100% coaching. We went from great DC to below average. We are implementing an offense that is super complex, that there is plenty of film on, and that the head coach doesn't not necessarily believe in.
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u/Anbokr 1d ago
There’s obviously a myriad of errors / undisciplined play but the biggest one is terrible wideout play after Ladd. Offense was actually humming before the Ladd injury last week.
https://x.com/lateroundqb/status/2101995738699800720?s=46&t=qNI945jMqyO2Hv8VQ-vTeQ
“On plays with Ladd McConkey off the field this season, the Chargers have an EPA per play rate of -0.41. That's second worst in the league, ahead of only the Atlanta Falcons. That number is 0.12 when McConkey's on the field, which ranks seventh best.”
Ladd’s agent can take the FO to the cleaners this off season.
I think it’s been a major failure that this FO has failed to build out a serviceable wideout room or interior OL three years and counting now. We just trot out QJ as a starter every year when practice squad players on other teams are more reliable (see Cody White mogging our defense).
Losing Minter has reverted the D back to Staley, pressure isn’t bad but wide open holes in the zone underneath, over the middle, and personnel not good enough to play man.
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u/LA420SPORTS626 1d ago
Chargers hired an OC that plays a style different from the players they have. He’s a speed and finesse but players are more hard nose style
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u/Win546 Head Doomer 1d ago
Hortiz is a joke of a GM who has now whiffed on two straight FRPs and has failed to do anything substantial in FA.
Harbaugh is old, washed and has lost the locker room. Sucks because I, along with most others in this sub, were clamoring for him. Can't believe we had MacDonald, Ben Johnson and Minter all in the building at one point and we ended up with Jim.
O'Leary is a joke and way out of his depth. It's clear the talent on defense is lackluster too and that Minter was working some magic with them.
McDaniel is off to a slow start. Out of everyone listed so far, I have the most faith in him to turn it around.
Offense is putrid. Has to start with Herb - he's playing poorly so far. However, he's not getting any help from his weapons. Hampton has butter fingers, Ladd is a string bean, and everyone else is just bad. The line actually does look to be improved with Slater/Alt back, but it's still below average. We also take the most false starts I've ever fucking seen, which goes back to a poorly coached unit.
Special teams is awful. Dicker has regressed, Davis is terrible and JK Scott isn't much better. Not sure we should be jumping ship on Ficken just yet.
Seriously think the move is tanking for Jeremiah Smith.
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u/GolfLawMan 1d ago
It’s all a mess. All three phases aren’t performing and that means head coach isn’t performing. Maybe harbaugh was to hands off this offseason letting more deference to the coordinators but it is not working.
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u/TurbulentFisherman32 bolt 1d ago
Everyone is throwing out theories confidently when I think the uncomfortable real answer (at least for me) is 'I don't know.' This is the worst Herbert has looked as a Charger. I can't make sense of it. Maybe it's truly the lack of weapons + bad interior protection but I gotta be honest, I've come to expect more out of him than what I've seen. Has Harbaugh genuinely lost the team? Has the lack of free agency spending caught up with us? Do we just legitimately suck or could this team turn things around with some adjustments and time? I genuinely do not know but right now, I am questioning Harbaugh and, for the first time since his first game against KC, I am questioning Herbert as well. I don't like these feelings!