Quarterback Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers warms up ahead of the game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, September 17, 2023. /CFP
The Los Angeles Chargers began the 2023 National Football League regular season with two losses, which was not what the team had expected after signing a five-year, $262.5 million contract extension with their quarterback (QB) Justin Herbert and making a series of enhancements to their roster during the offseason.
As the team's leader, Herbet calls for the Chargers to stay calm. "Panicking is never gonna fix anything," he said. "And so, you know, it's up to us to be able to fix that as an offense and score more points. And you know, we believe in the defense, and sometimes we're gonna score a bunch of points. Sometimes, we're not, but it's up to us as a team to play together."
Herbert completed 50 of his 74 passes in the first two games for 534 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. The Chargers scored 24 and 34 points against the Tennessee Titans and the Miami Dolphins, respectively. Their offense was not perfect, but not bad either.
Quarerback Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins looks to pass in the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, September 10, 2023. /CFP
What really cost the Chargers the two games was their poor defense. They allowed QB Ryan Tannehill to complete two passes from at least 45 yards in one game, including a 70-yard connection with wide receiver Treylon Burks, which had never happened since 2013.
In their 36-34 loss to the Dolphins on September 10, the Chargers' defensive group watched QB Tua Tagovailoa pass 28-for-45 to produce 466 yards and three touchdowns. He completed five passes from further than 20 yards, including a 47-yard connection with wide receiver Tyreek Hill on a third down in the fourth quarter.
Poor defense has been haunting the Chargers for multiple years. In the playoffs last season, they lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars 31-30 in the American Football Conference Wild Card Game after conceding 24 points in the second half. The team has already allowed 666 passing yards in the first two games this season, the most in the league.
Brandon Staley, head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, looks on during the game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, September 17, 2023. /CFP
"Definitely been frustrating," the Chargers' safety, Derwin James, said. "We haven't gotten the results that we wanted, but we will keep working hard. We're not panicking. We're not quitting, you know, turning our back on each other."
The Chargers will visit U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to play the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Coach Brandon Staley may count on a win to keep his job because, according to Elias Sports Bureau, there have been five coaches who went through a 0-3 start of a season in their third year with the teams since 2010. Only two of them finished their campaigns in the position. Staley took over the Chargers in January 2021.