Jim Harbaugh seems to be reflecting on some choices he made before the Los Angeles Chargers suffered a 26-13 defeat to the Arizona Cardinals this past Sunday.
As reported by Taylor Bisciotti from NFL Network, Harbaugh expressed, “We made some preseason type of mistakes. I think I wish we had played our starters more in the preseason to give them some game reps.” It’s interesting how a loss can lead to such second-guessing.
With one game down, the Chargers face the challenge of starting the season off with a loss, now shifting their focus to a Week 2 showdown against the Las Vegas Raiders, a rivalry game in the AFC West.
Harbaugh, who is in his third season as head coach for the Chargers, isn’t used to getting off to a slow start. This marks the first time he has opened a season with a loss as an NFL head coach.
Last year, the Chargers kicked off with a 2-0 record, and even began the previous season winning their initial three games, ultimately finishing with an 11-6 record.
Looking ahead, the team will be seeking redemption after their season opener. Back in January, the Chargers faced the New England Patriots in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, a game that didn’t go well for them.
During that playoff appearance, their offense managed only three points, which led to a significant change: parting ways with offensive coordinator Greg Roman and hiring Mike McDaniel instead.
In their recent game, the Chargers initially surged ahead by scoring on their first possession, but thereafter struggled, not finding the end zone again until the middle of the third quarter.
Omarion Hampton, a second-year running back, led the team in rushing with 12 carries for 43 yards and a touchdown, but it’s worth noting that the longest run of the day was just 14 yards.
Quarterback Justin Herbert had a mixed performance, completing 17 of 27 passes for 187 yards and one touchdown, but he also faced three sacks and threw an interception late in the fourth quarter.
Even though the offensive line took some heat for not providing Herbert with enough protection, it really seemed like they struggled to manage the pressure, especially during critical moments. For instance, late in the game when Arizona went for an all-out blitz, the line failed to successfully block a defender, which was quite telling.
