The Chargers had plenty of opportunities to come through with a potentially season-saving win at the Bills on Sunday and still couldn’t take advantage.
asserted
Chargers → have → advantage
They built an early 10-0 lead, made Josh Allen look mortal, forced five takeaways and still lost 24-16.
asserted
Allen → build → takeaways
At 0-3, having just started a seven-week gauntlet against some of the best teams in football, it feels nearly impossible that this team can make the improvements needed to turn things around.
asserted
team → start → things
Even deciding where to begin is a challenge.
asserted
deciding → decide → ?
The offense is disjointed, with coordinator Mike McDaniel trying to work around personnel deficiencies as players are still attempting to digest his scheme.
asserted
players → try → scheme
The interior offensive line is in shambles, forcing the run game to the perimeter and limiting what is available when Justin Herbert drops back to throw.
asserted
Herbert → force → perimeter
The lack of a consistent passing game outside the numbers continues to be a problem.
asserted
lack → continue → numbers
The defense can’t get off the field in critical moments, whether on third or fourth downs or in the red zone.
asserted
defense → get → zone
The Chargers struggle to stop the run, neutralizing a pass rush that should be a strength.
asserted
that → struggle → rush
Even normally reliable kicker Cameron Dicker missed a 45-yard field-goal attempt in the second quarter.
asserted
Dicker → miss → quarter
All those issues have put the Chargers in a hole that is nearly impossible to climb out of.
asserted
that → put → hole
Only seven teams in NFL history have made the playoffs after losing their first three games.
asserted
teams → make → games
Jim Harbaugh, who is winless through three games for the first time as a player or coach, was light on specifics for how to turn things around.
asserted
who → turn → things
“We got to be better,” Harbaugh said Monday.
asserted
Harbaugh → got → ?
“We got to look at our scheme.
asserted
We → get → scheme
We got to look at how we’re performing, how we’re doing things, and who’s doing it.”
asserted
who → got → it
What’s working
After forcing one takeaway through two games, the defense was much more active around the ball against the Bills.
asserted
defense → work → Bills
Justin Eboigbe forced a fumble on the first play from scrimmage, Tarheeb Still showed great effort and timing to punch the ball loose from Dalton Kincaid in the third quarter, and Khalil Mack had one of his trademark strip-sacks.
asserted
Mack → force → sacks
It was the Chargers’ most takeaways in a regular-season game since Nov. 19, 2017, when they had six, also against the Bills.
asserted
they → have → Bills
What needs help
asserted
needs → need → help
The passing game has yet to settle into a rhythm in McDaniel’s system.
asserted
game → have → system
Herbert threw for a season-high 226 yards with one touchdown and one interception at the goal line, while another pick in the end zone was called back because of a defensive holding penalty.
asserted
pick → throw → penalty
Quentin Johnston had another costly drop on a third-and-10 late in the fourth quarter, leading to an unsuccessful fourth-down try that effectively ended the game.
asserted
that → have → game
Stock up
S Genesis Smith intercepted Allen on consecutive drives in a breakout game for the rookie fourth-round pick from Arizona.
asserted
Smith → intercept → Arizona
Smith’s second pick saw him corral the ball while on his back after jockeying with D.J. Moore.
asserted
him → see → Moore
He was the Chargers’ second-most used safety behind Derwin James, playing 64% of the snaps and finishing with five tackles.
asserted
He → use → tackles
Stock down
RT Joe Alt has already been flagged six times this season after being called for a holding penalty in the second quarter.
asserted
Alt → flag → quarter
Alt had a stellar rookie season after being drafted fifth overall out of Notre Dame in 2024, and the Chargers won five of the six games he played in last season during an injury-riddled campaign,
asserted
he → have → campaign
The Chargers were without OGs Kayode Awosika (fibula) and Trey Pipkins III (knee), forcing Trevor Penning into the startling lineup at left guard.
asserted
Chargers → force → guard
... CB Donte Jackson sustained a concussion.
asserted
Jackson → sustain → concussion
Key number
5 — The Chargers became the fifth team since 2015 to lose with a turnover margin of plus-4 or better.
asserted
Chargers → become → plus-4
It was the third such defeat for the franchise, including a 31-30 loss to the Jaguars in a 2022 wild-card playoff game.
asserted
It → include → game
Up next
The Chargers have another difficult road game at the Seahawks on Sunday.
asserted
Chargers → have → Sunday
Should they fall to the reigning Super Bowl champs, Los Angeles would be left trying to duplicate the efforts of the 1992 Chargers, the only 0-4 team to reach the postseason in NFL history.
asserted
Angeles → fall → history
The Aporia
