The Los Angeles Chargers haven't run out of time to fix their woes on both sides of the ball and become the team we thought they could be by the end of the season. But in terms of their playoff hopes, and given the difficulty of their schedule that lies ahead, an 0-2 start against the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders certainly doesn't help things.
There were some positive developments in this game on top of the negative ones, though, and it's worth getting into those as well before we start to break down what went wrong in the Chargers' 14-26 loss at the hands of their division rival. But the overall tone here is negative, and that's the way it should be after how this 2026 campaign has started for Los Angeles.
The Chargers need more out of virtually every player on the roster, and that's the unavoidable reality heading into Week 3.
3 winners and 4 losers from the Chargers' second disappointing loss of the season
Quentin Johnston (Loser)
Coming into the season, it was thought that Mike McDaniel would be able to unlock Quentin Johnston with his passing game, utilizing him as a deep threat in complement to main cog of the air attack in Ladd McConkey. While it's not entirely Johnston's fault that things haven't unfolded that way, it's hard to ignore his lack of production so far this season.
Through two games, Johnston has just three receptions for 24 yards. He hasn't quite struggled with drops to the extent you might think with that stat line—he simply hasn't been effective in getting open in the deeper portions of the field. Los Angeles owes Johnston $16.5 million next season. They're going to need to quickly see more production out of him if he's going to justify that number.
Jake Slaughter (Winner)
If there's one silver lining to take away from this matchup, it's the fact that the offensive line as a whole looked more comfortable, especially Jake Slaughter. He was largely able to hold his own in pass protection, and the interior of the line was able to make room for Omarion Hampton on the run more often than not.
For once, we can't lay the blame of a defeat firmly at the feet of the interior protection. For a rookie that's been trusted with starting duties at center in Tyler Biadasz, that's at least a minor consolation prize.
Cam Hart (Loser)
Hart had one of the worst games of his career, flat out. He was targeted multiple times on in-breaking routes on the left side of the field by Kirk Cousins early in the game. He drew a hands to the face penalty that extended one of the Raiders' most pivotal drives, and he was at least partially to blame for the blown coverage that essentially sealed the game with a Las Vegas touchdown.
This team doesn't have an outside corner apart from Rodney Shelley to cycle in when these matchups are getting exposed, and with both Hart and Still becoming extension-eligible next offseason, this was far from a promising sign from the third-year cornerback.
Derwin James Jr. (Winner)
It might seem odd to call a player who fractured his wrist mid-way through the game a winner. But James returned quickly with a cast on his arm, and it doesn't seem as though he's slated to miss any time.
If this defense has any shot of turning things around under Chris O'Leary, it starts with James being available and at the top of his game. Given how things could've looked after this matchup, this is a win for both the Chargers and James.
Mike McDaniel (Loser)
It was yet another game where the details derailed Mike McDaniel's offense. There were numerous false start penalties that killed the momentum on drives, and a fumble off the leg of Tre' Harris in motion was one of the lowlights of the matchup. McDaniel, let's not forget, is fighting to prove he belongs back among the ranks of the NFL's head coaches in the near future. Given how things went near the end of his time in Miami, he's going to need a lot more than this to resuscitate his résumé.
Teair Tart (Winner)
Tart was perhaps the Chargers' best defensive player in Week 2. He was consistently earning interior pressure and serving as a disruptive presence in the backfield, and that's exactly what the Los Angeles defense needs if they're going to maximize this scheme.
While their edge rushers certainly take on the bulk of the responsibilities, O'Leary has enough weapons on the interior—including Tart, Jamaree Caldwell, and Justin Eboigbe—that some consistent pressure there could help ease the burden on the defense as a whole. Tart proved why he got a three-year, $30 million extension this past offseason, and it will be exciting to see how O'Leary's pressure packages continue to unfold over the next few weeks.
Kimani Vidal (Loser)
We're now two games into the season, and Kimani Vidal has yet to see a single touch. That's somewhat surprising, considering McDaniel's commitment to using all three running backs in 'every game' and adjusting the snap share depending on the situational requirements.
Vidal certainly struggled to acclimate to McDaniel's scheme during the preseason, and he doesn't have the same burst in an outside-zone run game that both Hampton and Keaton Mitchell possess. I'm almost certain we'll see Vidal get his shot at some point this season. But things aren't looking good considering how the run game has unfolded so far.
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