Chargers offense stumble in preseason opener

The Los Angeles Chargers take on a new identity under Jim Harbaugh this season. The head coach’s presence alone seemed to have brought on a newfound level of confidence during training camp. Harbaugh’s style translates to any level of football, and he is already a proven winner at the collegiate and NFL levels.

Winning football was not what Los Angeles put on the field during their first preseason game against Seattle. They lost 16–3 and will have to play better when the regular season rolls around if they want to live up to the standards of the new regime.

Luckily, it was just an exhibition game, but with Justin Herbert or not, the offensive scheme for Los Angeles looked pedestrian. In the first half, they went three-and-outs on their first three drives, followed by an interception and two more three-and-outs.

Los Angeles Chargers running back Isaiah Spiller (28) runs for some tough yards against the Seattle Seahawks in a preseason game played at SoFi Stadium on Aug. 10, 2024. Photo credit: Rick Stallworth/News4usonline

“There is a lot of work to be done, but now we have begun, which is positive. We have a place to start, but offensively, there was some good thing, not nearly enough,” said Harbaugh. “I don’t think anyone on the offensive side of the ball would be happy with that.”

A short field gave the Chargers their first points of the season when Cameron Dicker booted a 58-yard attempt through the uprights. Dicker is a weapon. He has been crushing field goals in practice, and after getting Los Angeles on the board with 3:26 left in the half, he then made the tackle on the ensuing kickoff. In three professional seasons, he is 52–55 on field goal attempts.

It is very early, but they will need to start opening up the playbook as the preseason games continue. There were very few downfield opportunities, and the run game was stagnant.

Considering the time of possession working against them and several star players sitting out, the defensive unit was solid. They battled against short fields and minimal rest to hold the Seahawks to only 16 points. Troy Dye and Nick Niemann help limit the damage, anchoring the defense at the linebacker position. The duo combined for eight solo tackles and two sacks in the first half.

In the second half, the Seahawks managed to run over eight minutes off the clock on the first possession. They drove the ball all the way down the field to set up a first and goal from the three-yard line before the Chargers’ defense stuffed them on three straight plays for an impressive goal-line stand.

“I thought our defense played winning football. I thought our special teams played winning football, and offensively, we underperformed,” said Harbaugh.

Herbert’s status for week one is up in the air, making the backup quarterback position an important one to figure out. Easton Stick finished the game 5/13 for 31 yards and an interception. He needs to be better in the next preseason game, or Los Angeles may start to look at other options.

“Ultimately just not executing at a high enough level obviously to move the football, and that starts and ends with me, so that is frustrating,” said Stick. “I think we will watch the tape and see what happened. We will go through the video and learn and grow personally and as an offense.”

The defense can be the anchor for this team. Although they did not play on Saturday, Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa, and Derwin James are all returning, and anytime you have three All-Pro-level players on one side of the ball, that could mean big things to come. The star trio needs to stay healthy, and other players obviously need to contribute as well, but if all goes according to plan, they should be a stout group.

“I am always excited to play with that guy,” Mack said of playing alongside Bosa. “We haven’t had a lot of time together on the field, which is unfortunate at this point. He is a special talent. He can be one of the best guys in the league when healthy.”

Mack and Bosa are still two of the top pass rushers in the league, which will really help Harbaugh and his staff in year one. Better days are ahead for the Chargers, and there is a lot of optimism that this will be a very competitive team when everyone is on the field.