The LA Chargers kicked off the Jim Harbaugh era on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders and it did not start as exciting as fans were hoping. After months of anticipation, the Chargers went out and turned in an early performance that left a lot to be desired.
To be fair, we can touch on the positives first. Outside of a bad missed tackle from Asante Samuel Jr, Jesse Minter's defense was flying around the field and making a huge difference. If this was Brandon Staley's defense out there it would have been another blowout similar to last year's 63-21 routing.
But unfortunately, the strong defensive performance did little to improve the offensive side of the ball. Despite having one of the best quarterbacks in the sport, the Chargers could only muster six points in the first half. Both scoring drives came off a Raiders turnover, too, and were not a result of a driving offense.
This lack of offense in the first half reminded Chargers fans about the massive issue that is plaguing the team this season; an issue that fans may have forgotten about during all the hype of the offseason.
Chargers' lack of weapons on full display vs Raiders
After the departures of Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and Gerald Everett the Chargers were given the worst-ranked group of offensive weapons in the entire sport. It was a fair ranking then and on Sunday, the Chargers are proving why it is still a fair ranking now.
The Chargers do not have the weapons available to create separation at multiple levels. There are players with potential, such as Ladd McConkey, but as it stands right now the Chargers do not have a single player who would even be the second-best weapon on another team.
There is only so much a quarterback can do when his weapons are unable to create separation. Additionally, this lack of separation ability makes it much easier to call defenses on the other sideline.
The Raiders have been bringing an immense amount of pressure in the game, often playing man-to-man Cover 0 in the secondary behind the front seven. Against a team that has weapons that can create separation, this is a nightmarish strategy. Against a team like the Chargers, it is the most effective way to stop the offense.
The Chargers essentially have the opposite version of what the Miami Dolphins have and that is not going to change any time soon. The issues are definitely exasperated against a team like Vegas that has a great pass rush but the issues will still exist in other matchups.
It will be up to Herbert to elevate those around him and Jim Harbaugh to coach the team into a position to win games. That is exactly what he is doing in Week 1, as the Chargers are competitive in a game where the offense has been laying a dud.