The Broncos and Chargers each had a little truth serum in their building this week, and the common thread was simple: nobody is pretending the results are good enough.
In Denver, offensive coordinator Davis Webb lost play-calling duties to Sean Payton, and the explanation from around the league put the spotlight right back on quarterback Bo Nix. One source familiar with Webb said, “Bo (Nix) isn’t cutting it loose regardless,” and added, “I would hope people around the league understand what’s going on there and give Davis the benefit of the doubt.”
Webb, for his part, didn’t linger on the change. He framed it like any other NFL turn, something to move past quickly and get back to work.
“It’s on to the next thing,” Webb told reporters Friday. “That’s the NFL.
We wake up and have a job to do, and that’s to help these players be successful. That’s the only thing that’s on my mind right now.”
Out in Los Angeles, Jim Harbaugh kept backing his offensive line even while the injuries pile up. He said he saw a group that was ready for the challenge, and the message from his side was about composure more than excuses.
“I saw a confident demeanor, one that was ready to accept the challenge, ” Harbaugh said, via Chargers Wire. “ Brought some memories back, being a player, what that felt like when I was put in that position and the feeling of stepping up to the challenge. ”
Then there was Chargers OC Mike McDaniel, who didn’t dance around the frustration. He said he gets why fans want him fired and acknowledged the offense’s start has been unacceptable.
“ When you have high expectations and you’re getting the results we’re getting and you’re 0-4, that’s pretty standard operating procedure, ” McDaniel said, via PFT. “ I would be foolish, or I would feel entitled, if I didn’t expect there to be disappointment.
And so, if you want things to change and you want narratives to change, you have to change them through action collectively. If our results are better, that’s the only thing that matters.
So it’s pretty easy for me to focus on what I need to focus on.”
In Other News...
Chargers Fans Still Have One Reason To Believe After An 0-4 Start
An 0-4 start can feel like the season is already slipping away, but history offers at least one reminder that the door is not fully closed. Around the NFL, teams that dig that deep a hole usually stay there, yet one Chargers group found a way to claw back into relevance and turn a miserable opening month into something far more meaningful.
That team came together under a first-year head coach and got a major jolt when the quarterback situation shifted before the regular season even began. The early stumble gave way to a steady run of wins, a playoff berth and even a postseason victory, which is exactly the kind of route this current Chargers team would love to study while trying to stop the early-season damage from becoming permanent. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Injury Pileup Is Raising Bigger Questions About Jim Harbaugh
The injury list around the Chargers has become a weekly burden, with roughly 20 players showing up on reports and nine already on injured reserve heading into Week 5. For a team that opened 0-4, the sheer volume of absences has made it hard to separate bad health luck from a bigger organizational problem, especially as the Broncos come to town and the roster keeps thinning out in key spots.
Jim Harbaugh was brought in to steady things, but the early-season spiral has only intensified the scrutiny around how the staff is navigating it. The latest wave of roster attrition has only added to the pressure, and with Los Angeles still searching for its first win, the conversation is starting to move beyond this weeks matchup and toward what all of it could mean for the coaching staff if the slide continues. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Suddenly Face A Khalil Mack Decision Before The Deadline
Khalil Macks early-season production has put an unexpected wrinkle into the Chargers build-up to the trade deadline. The veteran edge rusher, now 35, has three sacks in four games and remains one of the more recognizable names on a team trying to sort out its place in the AFC picture, which is why his situation has started to draw attention beyond Los Angeles.
Several league sources and analysts have suggested that a move involving Mack could make sense for both sides, especially given his past mixed feelings about leaving Chicago. The Chargers, though, have not shown any indication they want to move him, and with the deadline set for Nov. 10, the question is whether this becomes a real decision point or just another piece of outside chatter around a player who still matters to what Los Angeles is trying to do. [Read more 🡒]