The LA Chargers were unable to pull off a repeat from the 2022 season and ultimately fell to the Miami Dolphins in Week 1, 36-34. While the final score was close, it was a frustrating game for a Chargers fanbase that saw many of the same issues with this team a year ago.
There are still 16 more games to play and fans should not be acting like this is the end of the season. However, it is hard to blame the fanbase for getting upset with head coach Brandon Staley, who already entered the season on the hot season after the blown 27-0 lead in the AFC Wild Card Round.
Staley undoubtedly deserves a big portion of the blame as the team went away from what worked against Miami last year and made questionable schematic decisions. That being said, there were also players on the Chargers who definitely underperformed, thus highlighting Staley's questionable decisions.
3 Chargers who were downright awful in Week 1 loss to Dolphins:
1. J.C. Jackson
There is no other person to start this list with. To be fair to J.C. Jackson, this is his first game since rupturing his patellar tendon in Week 7 last season. He also was not put in positions to succeed, as the team was trusting him to guard the fastest player in the sport.
That does not change the fact that Jackson was getting smoked in coverage time and time again by the Dolphins. Not only that, but Jackson committed a needless pass interference at the end of the first half which quite literally was the difference. It gifted Miami three points and the Chargers lost by two.
The hope is that Jackson can continue to round into shape and get comfortable in this Chargers offense. After all, he has not had much game time to grow accustomed to his new teammates and this was also the worst possible matchup for him to come back to.