“Chargers–Bad Day–Bad Decisions”

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It didn’t start good, and it got worse.

The Chargers lost a game, lost more players to injuries, and find themselves being questioned on alot of topics.

Justin Herbert talked his way onto the field, wearing a flack jacket, having taken a pain killing injection. He survived but he didn’t play all that well and his team lost a game that was supposed to be a ‘W’.

He spent the first half playing tentative, taking some hits, feeling pressure and not completing many passes. In the second half, he ratcheted up his aggressiveness, hit a couple of passes deep down the field. But he missed receivers, could not run the ball, was flushed all day long. 99-of his yardage coming on two desperate heaves.

He hardly practiced this week, and looked hesitant. You wonder if the Bolts had sat Herbert, and might have had a a better chance to win if 13-year veteran backup Chase Daniels was allowed to run the offense and be aggressive down the field with the offense.

Brandon Staley was bombarded with questions about leaving Herbert in fo rso long, saying the quarterback was adamant he did not want to come out. He could have taken a shot in garbage time that would have worsended things. Herbert said he did not want to quit on his team.

Somebody needs to ask offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi how come Mike Williams was not targeted till late in the 2nd quarter, caught a TD pass, then was targeted just one other time.

There was no Keenan Allen, as his rehab with his hamstring injury continues. There was no up-tempo attempt to wear out the Jaguars pass rush. The running game is non existent, netting just 26-yards on the ground, and no power bursts ever.

On defense, the Chargers got mugged at the line of scrimmage. The Jaguars piled up 413-yards, ran 75-plays, controlled the ball an amazing 38-minutes, and were just plain methodical pounding it,completing short passes, with a lineup of players you would not recognize.

Adding bad news upon bad news was the injury issue. Joey Bosa went down with a groin injury very early. Left tackle Rashawn Slater left with a bicep injury in the second half. And this was a team already without center Corey Linsley.

On the field, there was virtually nothing again from pass rusher Khalil Mack. Derwin James gave up a TD and 4-completions. Michael Davis gave up a TD among the 5-balls caught against him.

The defensive front did not hold despite some big stops by Sebastian Joseph Day. James Robinson’s 50Y-run thru the defense put an exclamation point to how poor the defense was against a team that hasn’t had much success in years.

Not much help either from LB’s Kenneth Murray and Kyle Van Noy, who don’t do well in coverage.

It only counts as one loss, but no could see this coming. The Jaguars’ star QB-Trevor Lawrence got the ball out of there quick. Never got sacked. Ran some really good play action.

Just think of all the preseason hype about the Bolts. Then think they lost to a Jaguars team that had lost 18-road games in a row and broke a losing streak that goes back to 2019.

Now the Chargers play road games in Houston and Cleveland. Definitely winnable, but this loss Sunday was supposed to be a win too.

For a team people were saying might be a Super Bowl type franchise, this does not taste very good.  Did you know Jacksonville, heading into this season had an (18-50) record over the last six falls.  And since 2000, this team is (50-130).  And they battered the Bolts.

Bad loss, a bad number of injuries and 14-more weeks of games they have to get thru.

The only saving grace, somehow the Chiefs got ambushed by the Colts, the wheels have come off the winless Raiders franchise, and people are calling Denver’s new leader, Nathaniel Hackett, a ‘Clown Car Coach’ for all the mistakes made in the start of their season.

Stay tuned. Brandon Staley has alot of explaining to do.

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