A rough first three weeks has put a few NFL teams in an ugly spot as Week 4 nears, and for three clubs in particular, the early signs are hard to ignore. There’s still plenty of season left, but these teams are already dealing with the kind of start that can turn a year sideways fast.
Tennessee is one of the clearest examples. The Titans are 0-3, and the offense has been flat-out awful.
The team has looked worse than it did a year ago, which is a problem in itself, and the early returns under Robert Saleh are raising real questions. Saleh was hired to lead the group, but after what Tennessee has shown so far, it’s fair to wonder whether he’s truly built to be a head coach at this level.
He can be one heck of a defensive coordinator, but with the way Tennessee has played thus far, you really struggle to envision anything more than a small handful of wins this year.
The Chargers are in a different category of disappointment, mostly because the 0-3 start wasn’t something many saw coming. Nothing has clicked.
The roster hasn’t been good enough, the coaching hasn’t taken hold, and the team is getting exposed on both sides of the ball. Bringing in new offensive and defensive coordinators in the same season can create issues, but this has gone beyond growing pains.
The execution has been poor across the board, and Justin Herbert looks lost out there. With a tough schedule still ahead, the Chargers might not have a first win in sight.
Green Bay’s situation isn’t as bleak in the standings, but the warning signs are piling up. The Packers sit at 1-2, which is hardly a lost season on paper, yet the way they’ve opened the year has people uneasy.
Injuries have hammered the roster, and they’ve also laid bare the team’s lack of depth and lack of high-end talent. The Packers are already needing to make some notable moves along the offensive line, and there isn't a guarantee that when Micah Parsons return, he'll be back to his old self.
You already have a bad taste in your mouth for 2026 with the Packers.
In Other News...
Jim Harbaugh Just Turned Up The Pressure On Justin Herbert
After the Chargers 24-16 loss to the Bills, Jim Harbaugh did something he rarely does in public: he put the spotlight squarely on Justin Herbert. Harbaugh also made sure to note the coaching staff shares responsibility for the offenses sluggish start, but his message was plain enough. Herbert needs to be better, and the Chargers need a sharper return from a quarterback who has opened the season with more interceptions than touchdowns and a low completion percentage.
Herbert did not push back. He accepted responsibility for the offenses performance and said the turnaround begins with him, which at least keeps the conversation pointed in one direction for now. For a team trying to settle its identity under Harbaugh, the tension is obvious: the coach is demanding more from his quarterback, and the quarterback knows the next step has to come from his own play. [Read more 🡒]
Harbaughs Biggest Chargers Problem Is Starting To Cost Them
The Chargers are off to a frustrating 0-3 start, and the strange part is that the defense has given them chances to change the script. In Sundays loss, the unit forced five turnovers, a number that usually should be enough to tilt a game in your favor, but the offense could not turn those takeaways into enough points to make them matter.
What has started to draw the most scrutiny is Jim Harbaughs decision-making on fourth down. Several conservative calls ended in field goal attempts instead of a more aggressive approach that some analytics models favored, and a later fourth-and-10 try from their own 45-yard line failed and handed the opponent momentum at a pivotal moment. For a team already searching for traction, those choices are becoming part of the story. [Read more 🡒]
Quentin Johnston Puts Chargers Fans Back In A Tough Spot
Sean Payton had plenty to unpack after Denvers fourth-quarter comeback, but for Chargers fans the more familiar concern came from the other sideline chatter. Quentin Johnston owned up to a costly drop in a recent loss, a reminder of how quickly a single miscue can tilt a game and reopen old doubts about the offenses reliability in tight moments.
Johnston said he understands how difficult those moments can be, and for Los Angeles thats what makes the conversation linger. The Chargers have spent enough time trying to steady themselves through uneven stretches that every missed chance gets magnified, especially when a receiver with Johnstons role is involved and the margin for error keeps shrinking. [Read more 🡒]