Of all the things to critique in this game for the Los Angeles Chargers, Jim Harbaugh's decision-making will certainly be one of the more notable headlines.
After all, he used both of the Chargers' challenges in the first half, and while both were relatively justifiable decisions in a vacuum, Los Angeles ultimately failed both reviews and was left with no challenges for the rest of the game. His fourth-down decision-making, though, is what will leave a sour taste in Chargers' fans mouth moving forward.
The late-game call to go for it on 4th-and-long was relatively benign—the game was likely already gone at that point anyways. But with the way the defense was playing and the way the offensive line was constructed for this game, it's hard to justify his decision to call a QB sneak against a formidable Broncos defensive front early in the fourth quarter.
But we got a rare thing from Harbaugh in the post-game presser—he acknowledged his mistake.
Harbaugh says he should've called a timeout and punted when he saw Denver "gap down" on 4th. https://t.co/1ErJVghIAl
— Alex Insdorf (@alexinsdorf99) October 12, 2026
Obviously, one moment of self-reflection isn't enough to atone for the way this season has gone for Los Angeles. This team has been poorly coached from the jump, and that falls upon Harbaugh—even more so because he's a non play-calling head coach.
But any movement forward for this team starts with the coaching staff and the organization as a whole taking public accountability for its favors and working toward real change on this roster and in the locker room, and Harbaugh's acknowledgement is at least a start in that direction.
The Chargers need to take a long look in the mirror if there's going to be any positive change for this organization in 2026
The fourth down call itself was justifiable under a certain light, but only upon a surface-level analysis. 4th-and-1 with a chance to truly swing the momentum of the game back in Los Angeles' favor in a do-or-die scenario for the offense? I'm not sure what the analytical models would say, but it seems like a strong "go for it" might be in order based on that information alone.
But the Chargers were starting four rookies along the offensive line, and they were facing a formidable, physical, and hefty Broncos defensive front that—when loading up the tackle box—can become near-impenetrable for even a quarterback of Justin Herbert's size and athletic ability. The defense, also, had managed to largely stifle the Broncos' passing attack for the large duration of the matchup. Pinning Denver deep in their own territory, while not guaranteeing a quick turnaround, seemed like it would've given Los Angeles solid odds.
Enough of that, though. The problem extends far beyond a singular fourth-down decision.
Harbaugh's job as a non play-calling head coach is to make sure that the margins of this team are tight. They haven't been at almost any turn since the start of the season. The special teams has been a disaster, and there's been endless penalties and miscues, especially on the offensive side of the ball that, beyond even the Chargers' play-calling errors and mistakes, have put an irredeemable dent in this team's chances at earning even a singular win to this point in the season.
The injuries are one thing. But for a scheme to be installed so poorly and the decision-making to be so clearly misdialed at almost every turn this season is an indictment upon Harbaugh and the rest of the coaching staff. It's not where the entirety of the blame for this season's outcome lies—but it is something that's worth remarking upon.
As the team has only spiraled more and more, the only answers we've gotten from Harbaugh have been about toughness and improvement. To an extent, that's just 'coach speak,' and it's hard to expect any other sort of demeanor at the podium from such an experienced leader. He's not going to throw his players or his coaches under the bus.
But if this regime is going to continue in Los Angeles beyond this year, there needs to be improvement in the decision-making processes at every level, and Harbaugh taking accountability for his fourth-down call, at the very least, is a glimpse of that.
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