The Chargers Week 3 Loss Was Typical - Don’t Expect Anything Different

The Chargers are 1-2 in 2020. Not surprising to most people, but especially to the Chargers themselves, who have started 1-2 for 11 of the last 15 seasons, including the last 5 of the last 6 (in the 6th season, the Chargers started 0-3). Poor starts are a staple for this franchise, who seemingly live the same season over and over again. Their Week 3 matchup against the Carolina Panthers was no different - penalties, turnovers, bad calls, and a comeback so tantalizingly close, only to fail at the last second. There was one difference, however, between a typical Chargers loss and the one they suffered on Sunday. The quarterback under center was not wearing #17, and was not a savvy veteran. It was instead rookie Justin Herbert, who showed flashes of true brilliance in his second consecutive 300 yard passing game. No matter Herbert’s upside, the Chargers franchise will continue to be the ire of its fanbase and the NFL for the same reasons of Sunday’s loss - penalties, turnovers, a shoddy offensive line, and poor coaching.

1) Penalties - The Chargers were penalized 8 times for 60 yards, but the timing of the penalties were more important than the yardage generated by them. The Chargers were penalized for an illegal formation on 4th and 4 as Carolina was kicking a field goal, and the resulting first down allowed the Panthers to score and extend their lead to 8 in the second quarter. On the penultimate play of the game, the Chargers were called for a false start, pushing the team back another 5 yards when they desperately needed a touchdown to win the game. With only 13 seconds left, every yard made a difference. Joey Bosa was called for two encroachment penalties, as Teddy Bridgewater made the Chargers’ defensive line jump several times throughout the day. These penalties extended drives for the Panthers or killed momentum for the Chargers, and were all preventable by discipline.

2) Turnovers - The Chargers committed 4 turnovers against the Panthers, and didn’t take the ball away once from the Panthers. The first, a Herbert fumble, was due to poor offensive line play. The second, a Joshua Kelley fumble, was on Kelley not holding onto the ball and killed a promising drive in Caroline territory. The third, a Herbert interception, killed a drive that could have led the Chargers to a field goal to end the half. The final turnover was a missed hook-and-lateral play by Keenan Allen and Austin Ekeler on the final play of the drive. If Ekeler had caught the ball, he would have waltzed into the end zone and given Herbert his first win. Instead, the Chargers lost a game in which they had more first downs, passing and rushing yards, and total plays.

3) Poor Offensive Line Play - A hallmark of the Chargers is their shoddy offensive line. What seemed like a promising offensive line in the preseason with the addition of Bryan Bulaga and Trai Turner has turned into a typical patchwork protection scheme, with center Mike Pouncey out for the season and Trai Turner out for the game. The Panthers had virtually no pass rush in their previous two games against the Raiders and the Buccaneers, having only 8 total pressures and no sacks. The Panthers sacked Herbert on the Chargers’ first drive, and had 21 pressures throughout the game. Bulaga was responsible for two Herbert fumbles, one of which was recovered by the Chargers, and the offensive line made the rookie Herbert scramble to keep drives alive. On the last drive of the game, Herbert lead the team from their own 1 yard line to Carolina 23 with 13 seconds left. The Chargers’ offensive line, as they always do, let their quarterback down. Pipkins was called for a false start, pushing the Chargers back 5 crucial yards, and on the final play of the game, Herbert ran around and threw off his back leg falling backward as the pocket collapsed around him. The Chargers’ offensive line can only be described as reliably bad.

4) Poor Coaching - The penalties, turnovers, and poor offensive line play can be connected by one thing: poor coaching. Anthony Lynn and the Chargers coaching staff has not instilled discipline or common sense into this Chargers team. Week after week, year after year, the Chargers commit costly turnovers and penalties that turn easy wins to tough losses. The front office has refused to address offensive line problems, and when they have, a medical staff that can only be described as the worst in the NFL allows players to get injured. Herbert had a whole week to prepare for this Carolina defense, but couldn’t find a rhythm for large parts of the game. With a 6’ 6’’ 240 pound quarterback at the helm, Offensive Coordinator Shane Steichen decided not to call any quarterback draws or sneaks, and has an obsession with calling screen plays on third and long. Clock management was a huge issue for the Chargers as well; Herbert could have easily spiked the ball to stop the clock several times on his final march down the field, or thrown to the outside to stop the clock. Instead of receivers stepping out of bounds, the Chargers decided to attack the middle of the field with 1 timeout and a 99 yard field ahead of them.

The Chargers’ woes can rest solely on the shoulders of Anthony Lynn, who does a terrible job preparing his defense and offense every week. For the Chargers to transform into a competent franchise, they must rid themselves of their entire coaching and medical staff. Only then will their pieces be allowed to shine. Otherwise, Herbert may become another Philip Rivers, a quarterback with great talent and potential who tried everything he could to lead his team to victory, only to be let down every single game.