The Las Vegas Raiders helped put the Los Angeles Chargers in a deep hole, and it's getting even deeper.
It’s usually not a good idea to draw conclusions three games into an NFL season, but there’s one that seems unavoidable. There’s a new world order in the AFC West, with the Los Angeles Chargers being the division’s new punching bag, and the Las Vegas Raiders are reaping benefits galore.
The 0-3 Chargers are a mess, and the situation is bad and getting worse. LA blew a 10-0 lead on the road on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills and lost 24-16 despite five Bills turnovers, and according to Kris Rhim of ESPN, quarterback Justin Herbert looks like “a shell of himself” in the offense of new coordinator Mike McDaniel.
Herbert had 226 yards passing with a touchdown and an interception against Buffalo, but Bills defenders dropped two potential interceptions. The Chargers quarterback has been making terrible decisions, and even Fox analyst Tom Brady went off on Herbert, saying, “poor awareness, poor decision. Throws him a meatball sub.”
Meanwhile, there’s embattled coach Jim Harbaugh, who’s done a complete 180 on Herbert. Harbaugh has praised Herbert to the heavens throughout his struggles, saying he thinks Herbert is “the greatest quarterback of all time,” and the former NFL quarterback turned head coach has said he wishes he could trade genes with Herbert because of how perfect a player and person he is.
But his only comment about the quarterback’s decisions against Buffalo was “be better.” Harbaugh walked his comment back a little after that, saying the drive to be better also applies to himself, McDaniel and the rest of the organization.
Divisions between the defense and the offense have also surfaced, which is another sign that things are going completely south. Star Safety Derwin James has criticized the sloppy play after the Chargers’ 27-13 loss to the Raiders, although he stopped short of criticizing Herbert directly.
The Raiders helped put the Chargers in this hole, and it’s an important early development. The Raiders were the team that stumbled and fumbled their way through the season AFC West last year, and being able to play reasonably clean football while the Chargers imploded was a big step in establishing a winning culture.
More benefits are coming. The Raiders are 3-0, and they look like a real NFL team that could contend for a playoff berth this season, so wins are important. They’re not all the way there yet, but that Dec. 13 game against the Chargers suddenly looks a lot more enticing.
It’s important to note that it’s still early, so an LA turnaround could be coming, although it’s hard to imagine how. But the track record of 0-3 teams going forward is abysmal, and it’s starting to look like a lost season for the Chargers.
