Chargers enduring record-breaking streak of futility
Six marvelous games into Justin Herbert’s rookie season, only one team has been able to diminish the quarterback’s dramatic impact on his Los Angeles Chargers and the NFL.
That team? The Chargers. Of course. Obscuring their own quarterback’s transcendent talent has been a jarring, fourstep process of futility as easy as one, two, three, four straight weeks of blowing leads
of at least 16 points.
Actually, it really hasn’t been easy. Otherwise, there’d have been at least one other team in the 101-year history of the NFL to accomplish that feat of failure.
The Chargers enter Sunday’s game against the Raiders with a month’s worth of missteps and misery on their resume. Those lost leads have led to five Chargers losses by a total of 19 points.
Here’s a look at their blown leads in the past four games, including their loss Sunday to Denver on Drew Lock’s touchdown pass as time expired:
• Week 4: Lost 17-point lead and game to Tampa Bay.
• Week 5: Lost 17-point lead and game to New Orleans.
• Week 6: Lost 16-point lead to Jacksonville but won game.
• Week 7: Lost 21-point lead and game
to Denver.
And, for good ... err, bad measure, don’t forget the Chargers were beaten in Week 3 by the Panthers, who snapped their 10-game losing streak.
It’s easy to see how Herbert, the No. 6 overall pick from Oregon, could be overshadowed despite becoming the first player in NFL history with 15 touchdown passes and 1,500 yards in his first six career games. His 15 scoring passes in six career games also tied a league record.
R a ider s c oa ch Jon Gruden, though, has taken notice of Herbert and isn’t looking forward to dealing with him.
“He’s further along than most rookies. He’s been wellschooled, well-trained, and he’s a problem,” Gruden said. “This young man is a problem for everybody in the AFC. He’s off to a great start.”
Chargers coach Anthony Lynn and his players are naturally beyond upset about their inability to hold leads. But he said there’s not much they can do except try to fix their problems.
“What do you want to do? Go hire new players? Go hire new coaches right in the middle of the season?,” Lynn said to reporters Monday. “You can’t do that. This is what we have. We’re gonna have to figure this (stuff) out right now.”
Here’s a closer look at the Raiders’ first game at brandnew SoFi Stadium:
Three reasons for hope
HISTORY IS ON THEIR SIDE >> After Sunday’s loss, the Chargers have now lost their last eight games against AFC West opponents. Los Angeles hasn’t won a division game in nearly two years — it beat the Broncos on Dec. 30, 2018. With their sweep of the Chargers last year, the Raiders now have swept a division series three times in the last eight years. And, as you may have guessed, the Raiders swept the Chargers all three times. The Raiders also finished with twogame sweeps of the Chargers in 2015 and ‘16. Meanwhile, Derek Carr seems to enjoy playing the Chargers, at least a year ago when he completed 47- of- 61 passes for 509 yards and two TDs.
Carr had a 118.2 passer rating against the Chargers last year
SOME ROOM TO RUN >> Don’t be misled by the Chargers’ eighth-ranked rushing defense. You can attribute those relatively low yardage totals (112.2 per game) mostly to the Chargers’ opponents frequently throwing the ball while playing from behind. To further prove the point, consider the Chargers have actually allowed the sixth-worst yards per carry average (4.7) this season. Los Angeles allowed the Broncos to run for 108 yards Sunday, including 83 from Denver’s Philip Lindsay on just six carries — a 13.8 average. This came a week after letting the Jaguars run for 140 yards against them. Look for the Raiders to give the Chargers a steady dose of Josh Jacobs and Devontae Booker while daring L.A. to stop them.
LINE TROUBLES IN L.A.? >> The Chargers thought they’d solved their issues on the offensive line in the off-season by trading for five-time Pro Bowl guard Trai Turner and signing ex-Packers tackle Bryan Bulaga to a 3-year, $30 million deal. Then the injuries hit. Turner (groin) has played in just one game, though he appears closer to returning. Bulaga (back) finally returned Sunday after missing more than a month. He helped L. A. pierce the Broncos’ suspect run defense in a losing effort Sunday. But the Chargers have allowed 14 sacks and have also had their issues trying to consistently open holes for Justin Jackson and Joshua Kelly. Their unit is the fourthworst ranked group in adjusted line yards, according to Football Outsiders. In addition, L. A.’s men up front have had trouble in shortyardage situations — the Chargers are seventh-worst on third-and-2 and fourthand-2 or less, converting just 56 percent of those attempts.
Three reasons for pessimism
TALENT ON THE OUTSIDE >> The Chargers boast one of the top receiver tandems in the league in former Cal star Keenan Allen and former No. 7 overall pick Mike Williams, both of whom made Tyrell Williams expendable and available to the Raiders in free agency two years ago. They’ve also helped make things easier for their rookie quarterback. Allen has arguably the best hands of any receiver — he has no dropped
passes in 74 targets this year. Allen is sixth in the league with 53 catches for 548 yards and three scores. Mike Williams is the Chargers’ deep threat and, at 6-foot- 4, is an imposing presence in the red zone. He led the NFL with 20.4 yards per catch last year and had 10 TD catches in 2018. Williams is coming off another strong effort Sunday with eight catches for 99 yards and a score.
ACTION FROMJACKSON >> Justin Jackson, the Chargers’ seventh-round pick in 2018, has asserted himself as the team’s lead back while dualthreat Austin Ekeler (hamstring) recuperates. Jackson ran for a season-best 89 yards on 17 carries (5.2 yards per carry) while also grabbing three passes for 53 yards. His 142 yards from scrimmage were the most he’s had as a pro. The former Northwestern standout helped the Chargers run for a season-high 210 yards against the Broncos, who were without their top runstuffer, injured ex-49er Mike Purcell.
DOUBLE TROUBLE ON DEFENSE >> The Raiders have felt the pressure from edge rushers Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram for years and Jon Gruden knows his team will need to keep them away from Derek Carr. “I think the front of the Chargers is where they really make it happen. They have an outstanding pass rush when they’re available and when they’re together,” Gruden said of Ingram and Bosa. Ingram has nine sacks in 14 career games against the Raiders, but he’s played in just four games because of a knee injury. He’s still seeking his first sack. Bosa, who suffered a concussion Sunday, is Nick’s big brother is hopeful of facing the Raiders. The elder Bosa, who leads the Chargers with 4.5 sacks this year, has registered six sacks in six career games against the Silver & Black.
PROBABL E DI FFERENCEMAKER >> Justin Herbert.
One of the few people not impressed by Herbert’s statistical feats so far is the quarterback himself, who’s more focused on the Chargers’ 1- 5 record with him as the starter than his eyecatching passing numbers.
“We came up short so it really doesn’t matter how well I played or how poorly I played. We lost,” Herbert said after he threw for 278 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-30 loss in Denver on Sunday.