Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh was blunt when speaking to the media a day after their loss to the Cardinals on Sunday.
Harbaugh revealed that he had one regret after the loss, admitting that he wished he had played the starters more during the preseason.
The 62-year-old head coach played his starters only in the last two preseason games; however, he played them for no more than two series at a time.
The first-team offense and defense played for just one single series in their Week 2 preseason loss to the 49ers. As for Week 3 against the Rams, the starters played for roughly six to nine snaps. They rested only a handful of veteran starters like Derwin James Jr. and Khalil Mack.
For the most part, the Chargers' starters didn't see much extended
action during the preseason, and it was evident they needed more time to get their feet under them in Week 1.
A handful of different philosophies exist regarding how much teams play their starters in preseason. There's a balance between being ready for the regular season and avoiding injury in meaningless games in the grand scheme of things.
Some teams avoid playing their starters entirely, while some play their starters between one series and a handful, but mainly those snaps come in the first quarter of the contest. It appears Harbaugh wishes he had played his starters, possibly for an entire half in multiple games.
The Chargers were unimpressive in their Week 1 loss, being outplayed by the Cardinals in every facet of the game. Los Angeles looked lost, while Arizona looked prepared and like a well-oiled machine throughout the 60-minute contest.
Harbaugh and the Chargers will head back to the drawing board and prepare for their Week 2 matchup against the Raiders.
This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: Chargers' Jim Harbaugh has one major regret after Week 1 loss
