The Chargers are enduring one of their worst starts in nearly a decade.
Los Angeles last went 0-3 in 2017 and finished 9-7. Odd things have happened in the NFL, but given how the Chargers have played so far, it'll take a miracle to get things back on track.
The Chargers certainly have the talent to get things done, but their discipline tells a different story. The Bolts are one of the least disciplined teams this season, but not according to Jim Harbaugh.
The Chargers' head coach made a surprising claim about his team.
“I wondered the same thing after the game, and then watching the tape, we are a disciplined team,” Harbaugh said. “I can see guys doing it exactly the way they’ve been coached to do it, asked to do it, with the effort that they’ve been giving
it all they have. … That’s what I saw on tape.
“When there are false starts, yeah, we’re addressing those. Those are putting us at a disadvantage. But there are other things, without going into every single detail.”
The numbers don't back up that claim.
The Chargers lead the league with 10 false-start penalties, with three in last Sunday's contest alone.
On top of that, the Chargers have faced 20 third-down second-chance opportunities of 11-plus yards, the third most in the league.
The most surprising and glaring issue is Joe Alt's play. The Chargers' former first-round pick leads the league in penalties with 6.
His play, along with the interior line, which remains a weakness, has not helped the Chargers in the slightest.
The Chargers have regressed in discipline under Harbaugh.
In his 2024 debut season, the Chargers finished with the fewest penalties. Last season, they ranked 13th in penalties, and this season they've been down right awful.
The Chargers have been far from Harbaugh's physical, mistake-free identity that helped them to a 22-12 record in his first two seasons.
This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: Chargers' Jim Harbaugh believes team is disciplined despite sloppy start
