*Originally published September 26th, 2026 for RTÉ Sport https://www.rte.ie/sport/us-sport/2026/0925/1592918-nfl-preview-chargers-lack-of-spark-hinders-play-off-bid/
If you looked up ‘dark horse’ and ‘NFL’ in the same Google search this offseason, you would be hard-pressed not to find the Los Angeles Chargers among the results.
The thinking was simple: one of the league’s best quarterbacks, Justin Herbert, with an offence that finally looks healthy, a defence coming off a great season and a head coach in Jim Harbaugh, who has won wherever he’s been. It would have been stupid to bet against them.
Their opening two games were against the Arizona Cardinals and the Las Vegas Raiders, the teams that picked third and first in the draft last year respectively, both with new starting quarterbacks, new head coaches and very low expectations.
They were overwhelming favourites and a shoo-in to get through their first two games without a scratch, but they lost both games 26-14, looking second best offensively and defensively in both games.
It had been 100 years since a team lost back-to-back games by double digits to teams who had won less than 20% of their games the previous season. That team, the Racine Tornadoes, would cease to exist after their next game.
While there’s no risk of that happening to the Chargers (that we know of), it is a horrendous start for a team that many had high hopes for heading into the season.
They are hardly the only team to have started the year 0-2.
It’s not surprising that the Dolphins, Titans, Commanders and Falcons started winless, although the Falcons picked up their first win on Thursday night.
The Texans, Buccaneers and Colts are in a similar boat to the Chargers, where they are expected to be pushing for the play-offs. Unlike the Chargers, they lost to some of the league’s best teams or, in the case of the Bucs, had a two-hour rain delay before the end of the game.
What separates the Chargers from these other 0-2 teams is the gauntlet they have ahead of them. Their next seven games are against the Bills, Seahawks, Broncos, Chiefs, Rams, Texans and Ravens. According to preseason projections, their schedule is the ninth-hardest in the last 10 years.
Based on this, and the way they threw away what should have been two gimmes, it is not ridiculous to envisage them starting the season 0-9.
Their fourth quarter against the Raiders was a microcosm of what has gone wrong for them so far.
Down only three points in the fourth quarter, their four offensive drives went like this: punt, fumble, interception and finally a safety. There are six ways to give the ball to the other team, the Chargers managed four different variations in 15 minutes.
The Chargers offence was hyped to be one of the league’s best coming into the year. A top-level quarterback working with an explosive offensive mind in Mike McDaniel, a multitude of weapons and a healthy offensive line, on paper it was the perfect package.
But none of these hypotheticals have come close to being the reality.
Herbert has not looked comfortable in the new system, looks out of sync with his receivers and already has three turnovers to his name. Second-year running back Omarion Hampton has two fumbles in two games while running the ball for the league’s worst rushing attack. Ladd McConkey was their best performer in Week 1 but took such a pummeling from the opposition he had to wear extra protection on his ribs to prevent further injury against the Raiders.
Harbaugh is famous for how well-coached and disciplined his teams are, but so far the Chargers have the most false starts and are among the league leaders in holding penalties. From top to bottom they have been uncharacteristically sloppy.
So can they turn it around?
If ‘turning it around’ means becoming the dark horse many expected them to be before the season, it’s unlikely. It wouldn’t be surprising if they managed to take someone’s scalp and come out with a few wins during the upcoming onslaught, but those two early losses have left them firmly behind the eight ball in the race for the play-offs.
Historically, teams that have started 0-2 have a 12% chance of making the play-offs. It doesn’t take Newton or Pythagoras to realise 12% is better than 0%.
The Chargers have been more eclectic than electric so far, and they need to find the on switch pretty quickly to have any chance of raising that 12%.
Games to watch this weekend
Dallas Cowboys v Baltimore Ravens
The second international game of the season featuring two of the league’s most fun teams at the Maracana should be amazing.
Indianapolis Colts v Houston Texans
Division rivals trying to avoid going 0-3. One can kick their season into gear, while the other’s may be over before it even starts.
Denver Broncos v Los Angeles Rams
If their Week 2 performances are anything to go by, the next time we see these two face off could be at the Super Bowl.