Chargers’ 0-2 Start Puts Harbaugh and Herbert Under Immediate Pressure

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Chargers have reached an unfamiliar point in Jim Harbaugh’s coaching career after losing 26-14 to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. The defeat dropped Los Angeles to 0-2 and placed Harbaugh and his newly constructed coaching staff under intense scrutiny.

Harbaugh returned to the NFL in January after leading the Michigan Wolverines to a national championship. During his previous NFL career, including a highly successful four-year stint with the San Francisco 49ers that produced three consecutive NFC Championship Game appearances, he had never opened a season 0-2. Sunday was also the first time he had lost to the divisional rival Raiders, who beat the Chargers at SoFi Stadium.

The Chargers’ next five games include the Buffalo Bills, the Seattle Seahawks, the Denver Broncos, the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, and the Los Angeles Rams. There is little room in that stretch for a gradual rebuild of the offense.

Since 1990, only about 11.5% of NFL teams that began 0-2 have rallied to reach the playoffs. Under the 14-team playoff format established in 2020, the figure remains similarly low, at around 15%.

The offense has struggled with basic operational mechanics and committed six fumbles against the Raiders. Through two games, Justin Herbert has thrown for 401 yards, with two touchdowns and three interceptions, while the unit has repeatedly stalled in critical situations.

First-year offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel was hired in January after two seasons as head coach of the Miami Dolphins. He came to Los Angeles to design an innovative passing game around franchise quarterback Herbert, after building a reputation as a creative offensive strategist under Kyle Shanahan with the San Francisco 49ers. Several franchises, including the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Buffalo Bills, and the Raiders, had shown interest in McDaniel as a head coach or coordinator.

One sequence against Las Vegas exposed the Chargers’ execution problems. On a critical third-and-inches, McDaniel bypassed a standard under-center play call. The 6-foot-6, 240-pound Herbert instead lined up in the shotgun and called for pre-snap motion. The snap was mistimed and struck wide receiver Tre’ Harris before reaching Herbert, producing a five-yard loss and an aborted drive.

The offensive line, anchored by first-round draft pick Joe Alt, also failed to find consistency. Alt, the No. 5 overall selection out of Notre Dame, was penalized four times during the game. A holding penalty in the end zone gave the Raiders’ defense a safety.

Herbert’s transition to McDaniel’s system is another adjustment in a career marked by coaching volatility. McDaniel is Herbert’s fifth offensive coordinator in seven seasons of football, dating to his time at the University of Oregon, where he played under three different offensive coordinators.

The current offense has drawn stark contrasts to the system of former offensive coordinator Greg Roman. Fans often criticized Roman’s run-heavy schemes for limiting Herbert’s passing volume, but those plays supplied ball security and physical structure that the Chargers now lack.

Aside from rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey, selected in the second round out of Georgia, the receiving corps has struggled to separate from defensive backs. That has limited Herbert’s downfield options. A pass that deflected off the hands of tight end David Njoku further compounded the turnover problems and became one of Herbert’s three interceptions on the day.

After Sunday’s loss, television cameras showed Herbert sitting on the bench and staring forward while McDaniel attempted to communicate with him on the sideline. Asked by reporters what McDaniel’s message to the offense had been in those final moments, Herbert said he had not yet spoken with his offensive coordinator after the game ended.

Harbaugh took a broad view of the struggles when he addressed the media. “I’m not looking in any one direction,” Harbaugh said. “I’m looking at it all.”