The Bolts got absolutely throttled 41-17 by the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night, and if you watched it, you know it was a total faceplant. Forget that joint practice where they apparently looked good, because when the lights were on at SoFi Stadium, the Chargers looked like a totally different squad.
What Happened To The Offense?
After all the hype for Justin Herbert hitting the field in August, we got a grand total of one quick three-and-out before the starters dipped. That was it. And from there, things just went downhill fast. This team looked straight-up undisciplined and unmotivated for most of the night. The offense was plagued with procedural penalties, and get this, *half* of those killed some of their best plays. You just can’t make that stuff up! Running the ball was a nightmare, too. Against the Niners, it was like hitting a brick wall. At one point in the third quarter, the running backs had a measly three net rushing yards on ten total carries. Defenders were just blowing through gaps before anyone could even think about getting north or south. It was rough to watch. After Herbert left, Trey Lance came in and moved the chains once with a short throw to Keaton Mitchell, but overall the offense only managed 26 yards in six plays before punting.
Defense Vanished, Special Teams Got Cooked
And don’t even get me started on the defense. They pretty much vanished in the third quarter, allowing the 49ers to rack up 40+ points. Letting an opponent drop that many points in a preseason game should be incredibly tough, but San Francisco made it look way too easy. To add insult to injury, special teams got burned too, giving up an 83-yard punt return for a score. Jim Harbaugh said the starters would only play one series, and he wasn’t kidding, but the whole operation just fell apart after that.
The Chargers are back at SoFi next Thursday, this time as the “away” team against the Rams. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. PST. They need to watch this film, stomach it, and figure out how to clean up the mess fast. Because if this is the discipline level early in the season, it’s going to be a long year for the Bolts.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bolts from the Blue.
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