Brutal stat shows just how big of a mess the Chargers have created for themselves

As the Los Angeles Chargers were bruised and beaten down at the hands of the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 11, it seemed as though things could not get much worse, and, for the most part, that is probably true.

Yet, the brutal play of left tackle Trevor Penning, who the Chargers acquired at the trade deadline in hopes of providing some sort of relief to their struggling offensive line, was not only a major reason that the offense couldn't get going in this game but also a terrible sign for their viability the rest of the season.

Penning, who was removed from the game and replaced by Austin Deculus following his struggles against Josh Hines-Allen, posted the worst offensive grade, per Pro Football Focus, on the team:

PFF grades are not the end all, be all of football evaluation, but this is a very, very rough look.

While Penning could not have been expected to be the savior of the offensive line, the fact that he was replaced by Deculus (who is the worst tackle in the league this season according to PFF), is massively concerning, and this number only adds insult to injury as the Chargers lick their wounds and prepare for their bye week.

The Chargers' season will effectively come down to their lack of offensive line depth

In fairness, not many teams could overcome the injury troubles that Los Angeles has dealt with this season on their offensive line. Rashawn Slater has not played a singular regular season snap after getting hurt in training camp, and their other star tackle, Joe Alt, is now set to miss the rest of the season with a high-ankle sprain.

To make matters worse, Mekhi Becton, Jamaree Salyer, Trey Pipkins III and Bobby Hart have all also missed time this season.

Yet, the front office deserves some serious blame as well. The only move they made this offseason to add depth to the offensive line was to sign Becton to play the interior. Becton has been the fourth-worst guard in the league this season according to PFF.

Their trade for Penning, who was shifted away from tackle with the Saints as a result of his struggles protecting the edge, represented a desperate gamble to provide any semblance of consistency or experience to their O-line.

Penning was expected to struggle, especially if Los Angeles decided to move him to the outside. Yet, the fact that the organization, despite whatever options were available on the market, could not bring in a player that is even marginally better than Deculus is frankly absurd.

Now, as the team stands at 7-4 and prepares for matchups with the Las Vegas Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs following their bye, they will pay the price for this failure.