The Chargers are 0-4.
A comeback attempt in Seattle against the reigning champion Seahawks fell short when former Charger Uchenna Nwosu stripped Justin Herbert with 54 seconds to go, ensuring that LA remained winless.
Here's what to take away from the game.
Injury bug returns
Nwosu was able to record that strip sack of Herbert in part because Los Angeles had rookie sixth-round pick Logan Taylor playing left tackle. Taylor was in at tackle because the Chargers had 5 healthy offensive linemen remaining by the end of the game after watching Joe Alt (neck), Trevor Penning (head), and Rashawn Slater (ankle) leave the game early. Rookie Travis Burke replaced Alt at right tackle and Taylor initially replaced Penning at left guard. When Slater went down, however, the only
remaining backup was undrafted rookie center Jacob Spomer, so Taylor moved to left tackle and center Jake Slaughter slid over to left guard. Wide receiver Ladd McConkey (foot) managed only 24 reps before exiting with a pre-existing injury. Cornerback Donte Jackson (hamstring) left after 7 plays and safety Derwin James Jr. (hamstring) was inactive. Herbert also stayed down in pain twice on the second-to-last drive, once because of a hit to the knee from Demarcus Lawrence and once because of a hard hit to the ribs from Derick Hall.
Ugly execution on both sides
Seattle did its best to keep Los Angeles in the game, committing 14 penalties for 150 total yards and throwing an interception on the second play. But the Chargers matched or surpassed them in each category, committing a staggering 16 penalties for 130 yards and turning the ball over four times, including a Herbert interception on the first play of the game. Herbert also threw an interception in the second quarter and fumbled on the final offensive play of the game, plus the Chargers muffed a punt in the first quarter that immediately led to a Seahawks touchdown. It was an ugly, sloppy game all around, but like last week in Buffalo, the Chargers couldn't capitalize.
Run game rotation
Keaton Mitchell out-carried Omarion Hampton 10 to 9 on Sunday, and Kimani Vidal got 5 carries of his own despite Hampton having perhaps his best day of the season. Mitchell was largely ineffective until the fourth quarter - consecutive 8- and 20-yard runs early in the final period made up the bulk of his total rushing yards. Without those two carries, Mitchell carried 8 times for 11 yards. Hampton, meanwhile, seemed to find some success with his more powerful running style and finished with 9 carries for 45 yards and a 2-yard touchdown that brought the Chargers within 10. Part of the problem seems to be predictability - when Mitchell is in, LA runs the ball to the outside. When Hampton is in, they run it between the tackles. Hampton is a better player after contact than Mitchell, so he was more productive against a defense that largely knew what was coming.
Justin Herbert's poor play
Herbert did not play well on Sunday, even with injuries to four starters and the quality of the Seahawks' defense, which entered the week as the league's best unit by EPA/play allowed. Both interceptions looked like predetermined throws that went directly into the chest of defenders and were covered by players other than the Seahawk that caught the interception. The most effective play all game was for Herbert to get rid of the ball as quickly as possible, as Los Angeles threw multiple screen passes to counter Seattle's overwhelming pass rush. The field goal drive to cut the lead to 7 was essentially the only time Herbert looked like the top-flight quarterback Chargers fans have seen in the past, with a 44-yard deep shot to Quentin Johnston on 4th & 7 and a 21-yard lob over the outstretched hand of a Seahawks defender to Tre' Harris, getting LA into range to kick the field goal and give themselves a chance.
Keep fighting
The Chargers did not play well by any means, and they certainly don't seem to be as good of a team as many predicted before the season. But many teams down 27-6 after the opening drive of the second half would lie down and accept that Sunday was simply not their day. To that end, responding with an 11-play, 81-yard touchdown drive to keep the game within two scores and scoring on all but the final drive of the game to bring the contest all the way back within reach is commendable from an effort perspective. Herbert hung in despite taking shot after shot and willed the Chargers downfield. The offensive line looked more functional than disastrous with their only 5 healthy players remaining. Chris O'Leary's defense forced two crucial punts in the fourth quarter even as they shot themselves in the foot with penalties. For those looking for a smidgen of optimism, the Chargers didn't quit.
This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: Chargers vs. Seahawks: 5 takeaways from LA's loss in Week 4
