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“CHARGERS = DISAPPOINTMENT”

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This has been such a struggle, watching Chargers football, as it ventures into the 3rd season of Bandon Staley’s leadership.

The NFL standings show the Bolts with a (2-3) record, a far cry from what we thought we would see from a roster constructed in the image and likness of head coach Brandon Staley.

A gifted QB-like Justin Herbert, making plays down he field, hanging in there against a wave of blitzes, surviving painful injuries for the second year in a row.

It’s easy to blame the QB for not putting together a better win loss record.  He threw a tough interception in crunch time in the 4th quarter loss to the Cowboys.

But like Cowboys QB-Dak Prescott, Herbert has pressure in his face, people at his legs, helmet hits, blows to his shoulder all night.

The stats showed only 1-sack, but it did not show he was pressured on 47% of his throws, an all time worst high in NFL games this season.  But he was pressured 12-times and took 7-hits.  That’s brutal.

His running game is negligible, some of that because RB-Austin Ekeler was out with a high ankle sprain.  Josh Kelly and Isaiah Spiller’s work has been spotty.

The team lost big play receiver Mike Williams with a season ending knee injury.
1st round pick Quinton Johnston has hardly been targeted.

Josh Palmer, the most trustworthy receiver not named Keenan Allen, has put together good back to back games, but it’s not enough.

The real issue with the Bolts offense, is not so much Staley and Kellen Moore’s playcalling, it’s the people on the field, the offensive line.

In what was supposed to be a good group of studs upfront, they seem to be failing.  The cardiac arrhythmia issue with OC-Corey Linseley, has been a problem.  He is the only veteran in that front.

But LT-Rashawn Slater, LG-Zion Johnson, and RT-Trey Pipkens have not anywhere near the complete games you would expect from all of them.

In the Dallas loss, the offensive line took 7-penalties, from holding calls to procedure calls.  Herbert was chased and battered in the pocket, because #70=77-79 played really poorly against a brutal Cowboys pass rush.

Staley’s play calls on 4th down have accomplished little in years two and three
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Moore’s efforts to go ‘down the field’ have gone away because the stud’s upfront can’t protect.

No run game when there are no holes to run thru.

The Bolts (2-4) smacks of underachievement.  There are problems everywhere, and we haven’t mentioned the substandard play of a secondary, prone to giving up big yardage hits.

Oh that secondary, 5-games into this season, that secondary group has allowed 76-plays of plus 10-yards already.  Add in 25-plays of plus 20-yards.  And this defense has already allowed 8-plays of plus 40-yards, yes 40-yards this season.  Trouble points.  You better believe it..

Way too much finger pointing at this point of the Chargers season.  The Bolts least of their problems in Justin Herbert.

The bulk of the problem is the rest of the roster, and the front office that put the players on the roster, and a head coach who hasn’t learned how to win all the close games Justn Herbert keeps them in.
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