Jim Harbaugh says the Los Angeles Chargers will continue to work hard and chip away after a disastrous 0-3 start.
It’s a flawed plan.
Understandably.
This is the first time in Harbaugh's 23-year career as a head coach that he has started a season 0-3. Working hard and chipping away alone is not going to turn things around.
It’s time to assign blame.
The team needs to identify who is responsible and then consider a serious breakup. (No, we’re not talking about Madison Beer and Justin Herbert.)
The offensive 'guru'
Mike McDaniel, the Chargers’ first-year offensive coordinator, arrived with the reputation of an offensive guru. But he might have guru'd himself into a mess.
Pre-snap penalties have been a problem for the offense, suggesting McDaniel's system might be too complicated
-- at least for now. Yet there’s been no talk in public about simplifying the offense
Other issues: Through three games, the Chargers rank 29th in points per game (14.7) and 21st in total offense yards per game (308.7)
Last week, McDaniel said, “We're not standing on business in the least.’’
Translation: "To take care of your business.’’
That felt like McDaniel was passing the buck. And where else should the buck stop than with McDaniel on a day like Sunday Sept. 27 when the Chargers played the Buffalo Bills? The Chargers’ defense recovered three fumbles and intercepted two passes, and McDaniel’s offense managed just 16 points in a 24-16 loss to the Bills.
The honeymoon between McDaniel and the Chargers is over. It’s time to start taking steps toward annulment.
Goat vs. GOAT
The Chargers fumbled six times against the Raiders in a 26-14 loss Sept. 20, and Herbert led the way with three fumbles. Not exactly the leadership you expect from a quarterback the Chargers drafted with the sixth overall pick in 2020.
Physically, he's as gifted as the top quarterbacks in the league. But the "poor protection" his supporters cite for underachieving is getting old.
He is 0-3 in the playoffs, having looked more like a goat than the GOAT. Subpar protection and dropped passes are excuses cited for his lack of postseason success, but they're getting old -- especially in the face of this 0-3 start.
He ranks 17th in passing yards (627) and 29th in pass competition rate (59.1%) for quarterbacks with at least 25 passing attempts.
The Chargers are not in a position to break up with Herbert in the middle of the season. But they should start listening to suitors as soon as possible.
Does the buck stop here?
McDaniel needs to be accountable, but the buck stops with Harbaugh. After all, he hired McDaniel and oversaw whatever other moves led to this mess.
When the Chargers hired Harbaugh in 2024, the team was coming off a 5-12 season. Harbaugh then led the Chargers to back-to-back 11-7 seasons.
The problem was the wild card round of the playoffs. The Chargers lost to the Houston Texans, 32-12, in 2024 and lost to the New England Patriots, 16-3, last year.
Harbaugh hiring McDaniel in hopes of upgrading the Chargers’ offense is not unforgivable. What would be unforgivable is refusing to consider breaking up with McDaniel or taking a closer look at systemic changes early in the season.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Saving Chargers from 0-3 start could require drastic moves | Opinion
