The Los Angeles Chargers remain pointless and their offense is floundering, and head coach Jim Harbaugh has started to squarely place responsibility on his quarterback. After earlier defending Justin Herbert, Harbaugh was more blunt following Sunday’s 24-16 loss to Buffalo, urging Herbert to “be better” and saying that expectation pushes everyone — from Herbert himself to position coaches and coordinator Mike McDaniel — to improve.
Three games into McDaniel’s tenure as offensive coordinator, Herbert has looked uncomfortable. His QBR sits at 27.4 (29th in the NFL), his completion percentage is a career-low 59.1%, and he’s thrown at least one interception in every start so far. The Chargers have struggled to sustain drives and generate big plays; without staying on schedule, Herbert hasn’t shown much downfield aggression.
Harbaugh’s frustration is amplified because the defense created five turnovers in the Bills game, yet the offense couldn’t capitalize — Herbert’s end-zone interception wiped out a red-zone chance and summed up an attack that’s often a step behind. Herbert admitted he doesn’t fully understand what’s gone wrong and said the team needs to keep listening to coaches and work together to solve the issues as the season progresses.
Ex-Chargers defensive lineman Breiden Fehoko suggested on X that past poor roster-building around Herbert has forced him to press this year instead of simply executing calls. Sunday’s performance also featured glaring mistakes: three drops that erased potential big gains and five penalties in the third quarter that stalled momentum, resulting in just 16 points scored.
Harbaugh, typically guarded in his comments, made it clear he’s trying to motivate Herbert and the offensive group at a pivotal moment. The Chargers face a tough upcoming stretch — Seattle, Denver, Kansas City and the Rams — and if the offense doesn’t improve, Los Angeles could be out of playoff contention before the season reaches its midpoint. Harbaugh said the staff must examine scheme, performance and personnel to determine who’s doing what and how to get better.
Fan Take: This matters because Justin Herbert’s struggles have ripple effects on the Chargers’ playoff chances and could prompt personnel or schematic changes that reshape the team’s identity. For NFL fans, it’s a reminder that even elite quarterbacks need the right support and structure — and failures like this can accelerate coaching shakeups or alter how teams prioritize building around their franchise signal-callers.
Source: www.cbssports.com
