Chargers solution No. 2: Get better players
A pretty simple solution, right?
While many penalties are unintentional and random (such as Desmond King’s questionable face mask against the Texans), some penalties occur because a player got beat. The majority of these penalties are either holding (offensive and defensive) or pass interference, where it makes sense to commit the penalty rather than allowing your quarterback to get creamed or allowing a long touchdown pass.
In the Chargers’ last drive against the Texans, there were holding penalties against both Trent Scott and Dan Feeney that negated large plays. Both of these penalties occurred because the player was simply bested by the Texans’ defensive line.
Sure, learning from mistakes is the best way to improve. But, when your team clearly has a closing Super Bowl window, you cannot allow those mistakes to cost your team a title.
That has not happened yet at 1-2, but it could certainly happen in a few more weeks. Now is the time to make some moves.
Should fans be expecting a massive move such as a trade for Jalen Ramsey? No, the Chargers conservative approach that has served them well for the past several years is understandable when so much of the future is on the line.
But should fans be expecting Tom Telesco to be scouring the free-agent market and the rosters of dumpster-dwelling teams for any trade that could improve the team? Absolutely.
There are veteran offensive linemen out there (such as Ryan Schraeder and Jeremy Parnell) that could help this team immediately at the minor cost of potentially stunting the growth of Trent Scott or Sam Tevi. While cornerback help is harder to find, why not give veterans such as Sam Shields and Captain Munnerlyn a tryout?