The Los Angeles Chargers have opened the season 0-2 after Sunday’s 26-14 home defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders, extending an alarming start that has left Jim Harbaugh’s team searching for answers before a daunting stretch of opponents.
Chargers stumble against another rebuilding opponent
Los Angeles was expected to begin the year with wins over a pair of clubs coming off rebuilding seasons. Instead, the Chargers have suffered consecutive double-digit losses at home, each by a 26-14 score.
The start has placed the team in rare and unwanted NFL company. Los Angeles is only the second franchise in league history to lose back-to-back home games by at least 10 points against opponents that owned winning percentages below .200 the prior season. The only other team to do it was the 1926 Racine Tornadoes, who folded after playing one more game.
Harbaugh insisted the record has not broken his team’s resolve.
“I’m not discouraged, and nobody in that locker room is discouraged,” Harbaugh said.
Turnovers, protection issues and defensive lapses fuel loss
Justin Herbert completed 15 of 27 passes for 192 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions against the Raiders. The quarterback has yet to find a steady rhythm in the offense under new coordinator Mike McDaniel, while the protection problems that have troubled the Chargers continue to show up.
- Running back Omarion Hampton lost a fourth-quarter fumble that effectively ended the Chargers’ comeback chances.
- Pro Bowl right tackle Joe Alt endured a penalty-filled afternoon and was flagged for holding in the end zone, resulting in a Raiders safety.
- The offensive line again struggled to give Herbert consistent comfort in the pocket.
- Defensively, Los Angeles has been overpowered along the front, generated too little pressure on opposing quarterbacks and allowed too many openings in the secondary.
Herbert said the Chargers cannot afford to wait for improvement to arrive.
“There’s no room for patience with our performance,” Herbert said. “It isn’t at the required standard, and we have to improve.”
Veteran leaders demand a response
Harbaugh said the immediate plan is straightforward: review the film and return to work.
“We’ll study the tape and get back to work,” Harbaugh said. “That’s what I know how to do.”
Safety Derwin James delivered an even sharper assessment after the loss, saying players need to confront the problems honestly rather than merely react emotionally.
“We have to look one another in the eyes, tell the truth and get better,” James said. “Right now, it looks terrible. I’m angry, but anger alone doesn’t solve it.”
Buffalo opens brutal seven-game run
The Chargers will not have much time to settle themselves. Their Week 3 matchup with the Buffalo Bills begins a seven-game span in which Los Angeles will face five teams that reached the 2025 playoffs.
- Week 3: Buffalo Bills
- Five of the next seven opponents were 2025 playoff teams.
- The two remaining games in that stretch are against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, plus Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens.
With an 0-2 record and major issues on both sides of the ball, the Chargers need a rapid turnaround to keep their season from unraveling before Thanksgiving.
