Coming into this NFL season, the hype surrounding the Los Angeles Chargers was palpable, and frankly, hard to ignore. Pundits and data models across the sports media landscape were universally high on their outlook. Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr projected them to top the AFC West with an 11-6 record, while Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton had them comfortably at 10-7. Even analytical models like those from The Athletic and ESPN’s Football Power Index slotted them firmly into the top tier of the conference, with playoff probabilities hovering well over 50 to 60 percent. Some optimistic projections even mapped out a deep run into the AFC Championship Game. They had the roster, they had the pedigree, and the expectations were sky-high.
As we all know, however, reality in the NFL rarely matches the neat projections drawn up in the preseason. The first few weeks have a brutal way of tearing up script books, and the Chargers' start has been nothing short of a nightmare.
Finding them sitting at 0-2 feels surreal, especially given how it happened. They dropped back-to-back home games at SoFi Stadium by identical 26-14 scores to the Raiders and the Cardinals—teams widely projected to finish near the bottom of the league. Losing at home to open the year is tough, but doing it in double-digit fashion to bottom-tier opponents has sent shockwaves through the fan base. People online are scrambling for answers, pointing fingers at an offense that looks completely out of sync, an interior offensive line labeled "atrocious," and an epidemic of dropped passes that has rendered Justin Herbert and company completely stagnant in the second half of games.
Unfortunately, looking ahead at the next seven weeks, it doesn't get any easier. They are staring down a brutal gauntlet featuring the Bills, Seahawks, Broncos, Chiefs, Rams, Texans, and Ravens. Between hostile environments on the road, sharp tactical matchups, and their current offensive disarray, a very real, terrifying possibility is floating around online: could this team actually start 0-9?
When a team collapses this hard after so much hype, minds naturally wander to what happens next. In many organizations, a disaster of this scale would put the head coach squarely on the hot seat. But with Jim Harbaugh’s towering reputation and long-term standing, it’s hard to imagine an ownership group letting him go so quickly.
Instead, a far more likely scenario is that a coordinator takes the fall as a scapegoat. If you look at the defense, defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary has taken heavy heat. Critics online point to soft underneath coverages reminiscent of the past, communication breakdowns, and questionable personnel decisions—like dropping dynamic pass-rushers into coverage—as reasons why the defensive unit has ultimately worn down under massive time-of-possession deficits.
Yet, the primary lightning rod for blame is new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel. His modern, Shanahan-inspired scheme—reliant on pre-snap motion and timing—has clashed visibly with Harbaugh’s historic preference for a physical, downhill, power-run identity. The running game has been completely bottled up, and McDaniel’s blunt postgame admissions about a "transition phase" haven't gone over well with a fanbase expecting a win-now window.
The offensive struggles have even trickled down to the most unthinkable place: national pundits and fans starting to openly question Justin Herbert. While defenders like Dan Orlovsky blame the supporting cast and line play, critics argue that a franchise quarterback with a massive contract needs to elevate the floor regardless.
When you weigh all the noise, I think McDaniel is the most likely candidate to bear the brunt as a scapegoat if things don't pivot rapidly. The upcoming schedule is unforgiving, and while a total 0-9 collapse isn't definitively set in stone, the margin for error has evaporated. Something has to give in that building, and time will ultimately tell what—or who—has to change.
