The Chargers are staring at an 0-2 start, and Justin Herbert isn’t interested in treating it like a collapse.
Los Angeles has already taken two identical 26-14 losses at home, first against the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 13 and then against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sept. 20.
That has naturally turned up the heat on the preseason buzz around Jim Harbaugh, new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel and Herbert. But Herbert’s message this week was blunt: the record looks worse than the tape.
“There are a bunch of plays where we were very close. Things got tipped, or we came up short. … It’s promising to look at.”
Justin Herbert, via Ari Meirov on X
#Chargers QB Justin Herbert says there are promising signs on film that show the offense is close:
“There are a bunch of plays where we were very close. Things got tipped, or we came up short. … It’s promising to look at.” pic.twitter.com/dqYtEwNM9w
- Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 24, 2026
That’s the same tone he struck earlier in the week when the conversation drifted toward leadership and whether the locker room was slipping into panic. Herbert didn’t buy the premise.
In his view, leadership isn’t missing, and nobody in the room is backing away from the moment. The issue is simpler and uglier: the Chargers keep making the kinds of mistakes that wreck drives in the red zone and on third down.
The two losses have been especially frustrating because of how similar they were. Arizona and Las Vegas both came into the season with just three wins last year, yet both walked out of SoFi Stadium with 26 points and a win.
The Chargers, expected to be a playoff team, managed only 14 points in each game. The defense also failed to get off the field when the game was hanging in the balance.
Through two weeks, Herbert has thrown for 401 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. Against the Raiders, he finished 15-of-27 for 192 yards, with two picks and three fumbles, though Los Angeles recovered all three.
The Chargers as a team coughed it up six times in that game. Joe Alt also had a rough afternoon, drawing four penalties, including a hold that led to a safety.
One of the most telling moments came on a botched snap on third-and-short in the third quarter, when the ball hit Tre Harris as he moved in motion. Herbert’s frustration boiled over there, and he slammed the turf.
The drive was dead. Later, Omarion Hampton’s fourth-quarter fumble in Raiders territory effectively ended any realistic shot at a comeback.
The offense has simply not found its rhythm. McDaniel’s motion-heavy, quick-game approach hasn’t clicked yet, and Herbert’s time to throw and off-target rate on short passes are both below his usual standard.
Even with Rashawn Slater and Alt healthy, the protection has been uneven. After two games, the Chargers are 29th in the league in scoring at 14.0 points per game.
Now comes a much tougher assignment. The Chargers head to Highmark Stadium on Sunday to face a Buffalo team that is 2-0 and leading the league in scoring at 38.5 points per game.
Josh Allen has five passing touchdowns and no interceptions. James Cook is averaging 5.7 yards per carry.
And Los Angeles has to make the 2,400-mile trip on a short week after two home losses that exposed just how many details still need cleaning up.
Harbaugh has said the locker room isn’t rattled, and Herbert has echoed that confidence. From his perspective, the offense is close.
The plays are there. They’re just not finishing.
Sunday will show whether that’s a small problem that can be fixed quickly, or a bigger one than the film suggests.
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