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SportsFading · day 5

Chargers fall to 0-2 under Harbaugh in NFL debut

Los Angeles faces a brutal schedule after losses to Arizona and Las Vegas, with offensive chaos and injuries compounding the crisis.

newest coverage 12h agosummary written 2d ago16 pieces NewswiresGoogle NewsMastodon

What to know

  • The Chargers are 0-2 after scoring 14 points in each game against Arizona and Las Vegas—teams they were favored to beat—marking Harbaugh's first winless start in his playing or coaching career.
  • Structural offensive chaos: McDaniel's complex new scheme has overloaded the unit; Herbert's release time remains at 2.8 seconds (only 0.1-second improvement toward the 2.4-second target); six fumbles (three by Herbert) and three interceptions in two games.
  • A brutal stretch of seven games against playoff teams—starting with Buffalo, then Seattle (defending Super Bowl champion)—threatens to extend the winless streak deep into November; teams starting 0-2 have only ~10% playoff odds historically.
  • Injuries and discipline compound the crisis: Joe Alt three false-start penalties, safety-scoring holding call, plus David Njoku (knee), Charlie Kolar (forearm), Derwin James (fractured pinkie), and Elijah Molden (hamstring) out or limited.

The dispute Whether the problems are rooted in Harbaugh's mismatch to the NFL or simply execution failures in a restructuring year.

most voices

Harbaugh's college roots make him poorly suited to the NFL's demands; the scheme complexity has overwhelmed the roster.

  • “Jim Harbaugh has won at the professional level… But the man is college football through and through… right now he's looking a whole lot more fit for Saturdays than Sundays.”

    Jay Busbee · Yahoo Sports ↗
many voices

The team has fundamental talent and fight, but execution and discipline have failed catastrophically in winnable games.

  • “I saw it in our team, I saw the fight and saw the compete. That's what it's going to take.”

    Jim Harbaugh · Philadelphia Inquirer ↗

“It's not good enough, so we have to be better.”

Jim Harbaugh, Chargers head coach · Yahoo Sports ↗

Jim HarbaughJim Harbaugh Chargers head coachJustin HerbertJustin Herbert Chargers quarterbackMike McDanielMike McDaniel Chargers offensive coordinatorLos Angeles Chargers NFL team

Chargers fall to 0-2 under Harbaugh in NFL debut
Yahoo Sports

How it unfolded 3 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articles

Peak 4 pieces in two hours at Sep 20, 10 PM; 16 pieces over 5 days (15 articles · 1 post) Sep 20, 6 PM — 2 pieces · 2 articles — Google News 1, Newswires 1Sep 20, 8 PM — quietSep 20, 10 PM — 4 pieces · 3 articles · 1 post — Google News 2, Mastodon 1, Newswires 1Sep 21, 12 AM — quietSep 21, 2 AM — quietSep 21, 4 AM — quietSep 21, 6 AM — quietSep 21, 8 AM — quietSep 21, 10 AM — 4 pieces · 4 articles — Google News 3, Newswires 1Sep 21, 12 PM — quietSep 21, 2 PM — quietSep 21, 4 PM — 3 pieces · 3 articles — Newswires 3Sep 21, 6 PM — quietSep 21, 8 PM — quietSep 21, 10 PM — quietSep 22, 12 AM — quietSep 22, 2 AM — quietSep 22, 4 AM — quietSep 22, 6 AM — quietSep 22, 8 AM — quietSep 22, 10 AM — quietSep 22, 12 PM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Sep 22, 2 PM — quietSep 22, 4 PM — quietSep 22, 6 PM — quietSep 22, 8 PM — quietSep 22, 10 PM — quietSep 23, 12 AM — quietSep 23, 2 AM — quietSep 23, 4 AM — quietSep 23, 6 AM — quietSep 23, 8 AM — quietSep 23, 10 AM — quietSep 23, 12 PM — quietSep 23, 2 PM — quietSep 23, 4 PM — quietSep 23, 6 PM — 1 piece · 1 article — Google News 1Sep 23, 8 PM — quietSep 23, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 12 AM — quietYesterday, 2 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 6 AM — quietYesterday, 8 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 12 PM — quietYesterday, 2 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 6 PM — quietYesterday, 8 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quietToday, 12 AM — quietToday, 2 AM — quietToday, 4 AM — quietToday, 6 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Today, 8 AM — quietToday, 10 AM — quietToday, 12 PM — quietToday, 2 PM — quietToday, 4 PM — quietToday, 6 PM — quiet 123
Sep 21Sep 22Sep 23yesterdaynow · 7:46 PM ET
  1. 3

    Brutal playoff-team schedule looms as winless streak threatens

    The Chargers face seven straight games against teams that made the playoffs last year, starting with the Bills (2-0) in Buffalo, including the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks in Week 4. NBC Sports research shows teams starting 0-2 have roughly 10 percent odds of making the playoffs since 1990; teams starting 0-7 face near-zero prospects.

    “There's no time for us to be patient with how we're playing.”
    — Justin Herbert, Chargers quarterback · source
  2. background

    Harbaugh acknowledges preseason mistake, structural offensive chaos — Harbaugh admitted he should have played starters in the preseason to help the offense gel under McDaniel's new scheme. The team faces a cascade of self-inflicted errors: O-line discipline issues including Joe Alt's three false-start penalties and an offensive holding call that produced a safety, along with widespread injuries including David Njoku (right knee), Charlie Kolar (left forearm), Derwin James (fractured pinkie), and Elijah Molden (hamstring).

  3. 2

    Harbaugh's college-football approach struggles to translate to NFL

    Analysis highlights the mismatch between Harbaugh's style and the professional game, noting his offense ranks below league averages in both rushing and passing, and contrasts his previous Super Bowl run with the 49ers against his current struggles. McDaniel's complex schemes requiring quick release times clash with Herbert's 2.8-second release (only down 0.1 seconds from preseason target of 2.4).

    “It's always fun when a tumbling boulder from the chaotic avalanche that is college football bounces into the well-manicured lane of the NFL.”
    — Jay Busbee
  4. 1

    Chargers fall to Raiders, drop to 0-2

    Los Angeles scored another 14 points but fell to Las Vegas on Sunday, Harbaugh's 100th NFL game. The team fumbled six times including three by Herbert, with a critical fourth-quarter fumble by Omarion Hampton and a snap into a receiver's leg by rookie center Jake Slaughter on a critical third-and-inches play costing them the game.

    1. 3 outlets Jim Harbaugh has never been 0-2. The Chargers are now, with a tough stretch ahead

      first by Yahoo Sports, 4d ago · also Philadelphia Inquirer, Toronto Star

      2 more headlines
    2. 2 outlets Harbaugh 'not deterred' as loss drops Chargers to unexpected 0-2

      first by ESPN, 4d ago · also ESPN NFL

      1 more headline
  5. background

    Chargers lose to Cardinals at home, 0-1 — Los Angeles fell to Arizona at home, scoring 14 points in what was expected to be a winnable game. The loss marked the start of Harbaugh's first season as Chargers coach.

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