As the Los Angeles Chargers head into their bye week, they will have ample time to reflect on the beatdown they suffered at the hands of the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 11, having lost the pivotal game (against a struggling offense, at that) 35-6.
With the inconsistencies and the injuries this team has dealt with, any realistic chance they had at Super Bowl contention ended long ago, but, as the team continues to struggle against any opponent with a capable pass rush, head coach Jim Harbaugh continues to use platitudes to assure the fanbase that everything will be alright:
"Everybody has, in their lives, had issues that had to be fixed. We have some football issues that have to be fixed, but everybody's good at it. Everybody knows how to do it. They care deeply, and they're not going to back down."Jim Harbaugh via Daniel Popper on X
This quote, clearly, is just "coach speak", and it is not too unusual from the things that many coaches would say in this situation. Yet, given the Chargers' organizational inability to identify offensive line talent and their relative lack of activity in the offseason, references to on-field issues that need to be fixed become especially frustrating.
This team has the personnel on both sides of the ball to compete when fully healthy, and it is the team's failure to provide adequate protection for Justin Herbert that is preventing them from doing so. As painful as it may be, this team has lost its shot this season, and the problem goes much deeper than "football issues".
The Chargers have repeated organizational issues that need to be addressed, and their struggles this season are simply a symptom
First, a few acknowledgements. Not many teams would be able to overcome the injuries that the Chargers have sustained this season. They have lost both of their starting tackles, both of their lead running backs and a number of defensive players for large swathes of the season.
It is incredible that they have worked their way to a 7-4 record, and the heroics of Justin Herbert, combined with the pass catchers that they have surrounded him with and the general consistency of the defense, are the sole reason why this team is still in playoff position. They should be commended for that.
Yet, it's hard not to feel like this team also continues to put patchwork around Herbert and hope that things work out season after season. After they were in the bottom half of the league in sacks allowed last year, they only added Mekhi Becton and Andre James in free agency, later acquiring Austin Deculus through trade. Both Becton and Deculus have been among the worst in the league at their positions this season.
Moreover, offensive coordinator Greg Roman continues to be unable to script around the team's deficit in their protection, instead relying on miracle plays and quick screens to generate any sort of monentum.
Jesse Minter, the team's defensive coordinator, is well regarded around the league and will likely get head coaching buzz this offseason. Yet, in multiple pivotal games this season, the defense has come out completely flat-footed and unprepared for their opponents' attack, getting embarassed now against both Jacksonville and Indianapolis.
The problem is the on-field performance, but it is not limited to just the struggles of specific players. This team needs to surround Herbert with the tools he needs to win, and it will take a shift in organizational approach for them to do so.