That early season NFL panic meter? After Week 3, the whole thing completely flipped on its head for some preseason contenders. Honestly, the Chargers are in full-blown emergency territory. What scared us most back in Week 1, the Rams, barely registers anymore. Meanwhile, the Chargers, who were somewhere in the middle of our concern list, have completely cratered, while Green Bay’s issues are spreading, and New England’s turnovers are inexplicable.
Chargers Crash and Burn
Let’s be real, the Chargers’ situation is a flat-out disaster. They’re sitting at a dismal 0-3, and that Week 1 warning about Justin Herbert getting hit too often and their miserable 25% third-down conversion rate? Those problems didn’t just stick around, they got worse. Their recent 24-16 loss to Buffalo was the most concerning game yet. Why? Because the Bills literally turned the ball over five times, and L.A. *still* only managed 16 points! Their defense gave them every single shot to win, and the offense just couldn’t deliver. With offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, and Greg Roman before him, this unit has scored fewer than 17 points in six straight games, including last postseason. You can’t blame bad breaks anymore when you’re under 17 points that consistently.
The math isn’t on their side either. Since 1990, out of 171 teams starting 0-3, only five made the playoffs. That’s a pathetic 2.9%! Even with the expanded postseason, it’s barely better: since 2020, only one 0-3 team qualified, and Houston needed to go 12-2 the rest of the way. Basically, 97% of teams in this hole watch the playoffs from home. This is not good.
Spreading Panic Elsewhere
While the Chargers are hitting rock bottom, the panic has certainly spread to other teams. The Packers, who initially worried us with their protection and “money downs,” are now 1-2, and their run game has totally disappeared. They’ve only won one of their last eight games, including playoffs, which is a massive red flag. Then there’s the Patriots. Their Week 1 turnover issues have become a full-blown crisis. Mac Maye has one touchdown to six interceptions, and their offense is dead last in points per drive. That’s brutal. On the flip side, remember how we were sweating over the Rams’ down-to-down offense and third-down struggles? Well, they’re also 1-2, but their offense has rebounded dramatically, even after some Week 3 line of scrimmage issues. They look like the only one of these four who’s actually fine. It’s wild how fast things change in the NFL.
So, there you have it, folks. Three weeks in, and we’ve got teams fighting history just to stay relevant. Can the Chargers dig themselves out of a 97% hole? Can the Packers find their run game, or the Patriots stop the bleeding? Or are we already watching these seasons slip away? Only time, and a lot of gritty football, will tell. We’ll be watching every single snap.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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