The Chargers don’t have much margin for error anymore, and that makes this week’s matchup with the Chiefs feel even steeper. Los Angeles is sitting at 0-5, and Jim Harbaugh’s team needs a break in the worst way.
Instead, it gets a Kansas City squad that has started fast and brings plenty of problems of its own. If the Chargers are going to steal one, they have to clean up a few glaring issues first.
The biggest one is turnovers. Justin Herbert has been trying to carry too much during the skid, and the interceptions have repeatedly put the offense behind the chains and out of rhythm.
Against the Chiefs, that kind of carelessness can snowball fast. Herbert has to settle down, stop forcing throws that aren’t there and lean into the drives the defense is willing to give him.
The Chargers don’t need hero ball. They need possession football.
That matters even more because Kansas City has Patrick Mahomes at quarterback, and handing him extra chances is asking for trouble. Los Angeles has to make every snap count from the start.
Protection is the other major concern. Herbert has taken too many hits, and the offensive line has left him exposed far too often.
When a quarterback is constantly under pressure, nothing on offense comes easy. Mike McDaniel needs to make life simpler for Herbert with quick passes, screens and creative looks that get the ball out fast.
A functioning run game would help too, since it would keep Kansas City from teeing off on obvious passing downs.
Herbert is still the center of everything the Chargers want to do, which makes the blocking issue impossible to ignore. If he’s spending the afternoon scrambling for his life again, the offense probably isn’t going anywhere.
Then there’s Kenneth Walker III, who gives Kansas City another threat the Chargers have to deal with. If Walker gets rolling early, the Chiefs can lean on the run and make Mahomes’ job easier.
Los Angeles has to hold up at the line, tackle cleanly and keep Walker from turning routine carries into chunk plays. The same goes for his work as a receiver out of the backfield, where discipline matters just as much as physicality.
None of that guarantees a win, of course. The Chargers still have a long list of issues to sort through, and going on the road to beat Kansas City is no small task.
But if they protect the football, keep Herbert upright and limit Walker, they at least give themselves a real shot to hang around. With the season already off the rails, that’s the kind of chance they desperately need.
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Chargers Draw A Hard Line As Pressure Builds Everywhere Else
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Herberts contract runs through 2029, and the full no-trade clause gives him major control over any such scenario anyway. So if the Chargers decide change is needed, the pressure is more likely to land on the coaching staff or the front office before it reaches the quarterback, which tells you where the real uncertainty in Los Angeles still sits. [Read more 🡒]