The Chargers still haven’t found their first win, and Jim Harbaugh isn’t pointing the finger at his new offensive coordinator. After a 24-16 loss to the Bills, Harbaugh said he still trusts Mike McDaniel and wants his team focused on cleaning up the mistakes that have cost them early.
“No, we trust Mike. We believe in Mike,” Harbaugh said, via Austin Knobloch of Yahoo Sports.
“ We’re searching for every possible way to give ourselves an advantage. Every possible way to not beat ourselves.”
Harbaugh also said Justin Herbert has to sharpen his decision-making.
“To be better,” Harbaugh said. “That drives Justin, that drives me, that drives his position coach, that drives Mike [McDaniel]. … I mean, drives us all.”
In Denver, OLB Jahfari Harvey said Monday was the day he got the call to join the practice squad, and he’s already settling into the grind.
“It feels great to get that call. I was ready to put in some work… I’ve just been working on the scout team right now. Getting acclimated and getting ready and learning the playbook.”
Meanwhile, Raiders QB Kirk Cousins opened up about the early stages of building timing with TE Brock Bowers. He said the chemistry is still coming along, and pointed back to his Minnesota days with Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen as the kind of connection that takes time.
“ Yeah, I mean, certainly we’re still building that (chemistry), ” Cousins said, via Raiders Wire. “ I don’t think that it’s something that I feel like I did with Justin Jefferson or Adam Thielen after playing with them for three or four years, you really knew what their game was.
I think we’re still developing, but I remember throwing a back shoulder to Justin in Houston in his maybe second career game, second career start, and late in the game, threw him a back shoulder and he adjusted. And I thought, ‘Well, I don’t know that we have chemistry, but sometimes when you play with really good players it looks like you have chemistry.’
Because they’re just that much better at adjusting to a throw and making the play. So, some of that’s probably true too.
But every play you’re in there together, you learn more, and I think it helps you then be more efficient moving forward.”
In Other News...
Ladd McConkey's Status Just Became A Huge Chargers Concern
Ladd McConkey has been dealing with multiple injuries through the first three games of the season, and the Chargers have already felt the ripple effect. Even while operating with limited reps, he still leads the team in catches and receiving yards, which tells you how much the offense has leaned on him and how thin the margin has become at receiver. With the passing game still searching for steadier production, his ability to stay on the field has quickly become one of the more important storylines in Los Angeles.
The wider concern is what happens if McConkey is slowed any further, because the depth behind him has not been steady enough to absorb the loss. Injuries and uneven play have left the group unstable, and the Chargers have not had many reliable answers outside their top target. For a team trying to keep its passing attack functional early in the season, McConkeys status is no longer just a health note. It is a central part of the offensive picture. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Suddenly Face A Week 4 Availability Problem They Can't Ignore
The Chargers final injury report for Week 4 brought a little clarity, but not nearly enough to call it settled. Khalil Mack, Bud Dupree, Justin Eboigbe and Keaton Mitchell are listed as probable for Sundays game against the Seahawks, while Kayode Awosika, Brennen Thompson and Dalvin Tomlinson have already been ruled out, leaving Trevor Penning and others to help cover the missing pieces.
The bigger concern is the group still sitting in limbo. Ladd McConkey, Derwin James Jr., Donte Jackson, Elijah Molden and Trey Lance are all questionable, and their status will be watched closely right up to kickoff. For a team trying to manage a short-week routine and keep its lineup intact, the margin for error suddenly looks a lot thinner than it did earlier in the week. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Suddenly Face An Early Season Test They Cant Afford To Flunk
The early-season picture is already getting uncomfortable in Los Angeles, where the Chargers 0-3 start has turned Sundays trip to Seattle into more than just another NFC matchup on the schedule. In a league where September losses can linger deep into the fall, the margin for error is disappearing fast, and the Seahawks game now looks like one of those tests that can shape the rest of the year before October even arrives.
The stakes are even broader across the standings, with the Texans also staring at an 0-3 hole and the Rams trying to steady a 1-2 start against the Eagles. For the Chargers, though, the focus is simple enough: avoid letting an early skid snowball into a full-blown chase mode, because playoff hopes can fray quickly when a team is already digging out from the bottom this soon. [Read more 🡒]