Unexpected Chargers veteran is falling apart and could cost LA in the process

As the Los Angeles Chargers have now settled into a 5-3 record following their massive win over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 8, there are lots of reasons to be optimistic about the outlook of the team, especially with the way that Justin Herbert has played in the season's biggest moments.

Yet, the team, undoubtedly, has its flaws. Among these have been the struggles of one highly unexpected player, long snapper Rick Lovato, as he has struggled to keep his snaps on target during the team's kicks, and, while it has not quite cost the team yet, there is a very real chance that it will down the road.

With the sub-par play of their offensive line and the salient inconsistencies of their defense, the Chargers have very little room for error this season if they want to earn a spot in the playoffs, and, for teams of their situation, the margins matter. Therefore, although Lovato's struggles have not yet become widely visible, it could only be a matter of time before they impact these margins.

Rick Lovato's snaps have been off-target for several games, and it could cost the Chargers

When veteran long snapper Josh Harris, who had played the first decade of his career with the Atlanta Falcons and had spent the past two years in Los Angeles, went down with an undisclosed injury in the Charger's preseason finale, the team needed to scramble to find a replacement.

When Harris went on the injured reserve, things got even more hectic, and, after holding workouts, the team ultimately signed Lovato, who had spent the past nine season with the Philadelphia Eagles' special teams unit.

Yet, over the course of the season so far, Lovato has looked shaky and inconsistent snapping the ball, especially for field goals. While Cameron Dicker has been excellent so far this season, having made 18 of his 19 field goal attempts, he has been buoyed by some of the miraculous holds that JK Scott has amassed in the face of Lovato's struggles.

Unfortunately, we don't have PFF grades to allow us to compare Lovato's performance to other long snappers this season, but the eye test alone will tell you that he has struggled.

Dicker's singular miss this season came on a poor snap from Lovato, and even many of the ones Dicker has made have been despite off-target snaps. Even on their game-winning field goal against the Miami Dolphins, watch where the snap comes in for Scott to grab it:

Moreover, various special teams errors have come back to bite this team throughout the season: most visibly the 81-yard kickoff return they allowed to Ameer Abdullah when they were facing the Indianapolis Colts.

For teams that are looking to compete at the highest level, the margins matter, and poor special teams play could be the difference between a playoff win or a wildcard-round exit, or between a playoff berth and an extremely disappointing end to the season. Hopefully Lovato can get back on track in order to ensure the continued dominance of the Chargers' kicking unit.