The Los Angeles Chargers are an absolute mess right now, kicking off their 2026 season with a brutal 0-2 record. They just dropped their Week 2 matchup against the Raiders, a 26-14 gut-punch, after an equally rough Week 1. This isn’t just any winless start either: they’ve lost to a pair of teams, the Cardinals and Raiders, who didn’t even sniff the playoffs last year and aren’t exactly world-beaters this season. For a coach like Jim Harbaugh, now in his third year, this is a seriously disastrous start, and it means tough questions are coming for L.A. fast.
Harbaugh’s Defense Looks Completely Lost
Seriously, what’s going on with this defense? Through just two games, Harbaugh’s squad has given up a staggering 52 points. And it’s not like they’re facing MVP candidates. In Week 1, they were carved up by Jacoby Brissett, a bridge quarterback who isn’t known for lighting up the scoreboard, and a Cardinals defense without “big names.” Then in Week 2, Kirk Cousins, another proven but not usually “light up the stat sheet” guy, tossed three touchdown passes, making the Chargers’ defense look like one of the absolute worst in the NFL. Allowing 530 passing yards and 10 third-down conversions to these guys? That’s not just bad luck, that’s a system problem, and it’s making average quarterbacks look like absolute legends.
Offense? Not Much Better, Turnovers Are Killing Them
It’s not just the defense that’s making L.A. fans want to pull their hair out. The offense has been plagued by turnovers, and that’s just unacceptable. Justin Herbert already threw his second and third interceptions of the season against Las Vegas. You can’t win football games when your star quarterback is giving the ball away like that. The team as a whole also had six fumbles, even if only one was actually lost to the Raiders. That kind of sloppiness shows a lack of preparedness, and that falls on coaching. In Week 1, Ladd McConkey was a bright spot with 82 yards and a touchdown, but he was limited to just 35 yards in Week 2 due to an injury, leaving Tre Harris’ single 53-yard catch as the receiving highlight. When your top receiver is dealing with issues and you’re still turning the ball over, you’re in for a long day.
Sure, some bad luck might be involved, but when a team looks this unprepared and is coming off consecutive early playoff losses in 2024 and 2025, frustration is definitely mounting. Harbaugh likely has some time before anyone makes a “significant decision,” but the way things are going, it’s getting easier and easier to see a path to him being on that hot seat. If they don’t turn things around *now*, this entire season could be lost, and that would be a disaster for the Chargers and their fans.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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