At some point, you have to stop making excuses and accept reality. The Los Angeles Chargers are 0-7, and this thing is getting downright embarrassing. Seven games into the season, and there’s very little evidence that this team knows how to play winning football. The Mike McDaniel offense has been an absolute disaster, going 27 consecutive possessions without scoring a touchdown. That’s not a slump; that’s an offensive identity crisis. Whatever McDaniel is trying to accomplish, it clearly isn’t working. The offense looks completely lost, drives go nowhere, and opposing defenses must be looking forward to playing the Chargers as a nice little break in their schedules.
The historical comparisons aren’t exactly encouraging, either. The last time the Chargers started a season this badly was in 2000, when Jim Harbaugh was their quarterback. That team eventually finished 1-15. Think about that for a minute. We’re now looking at a franchise that is flirting with one of the ugliest seasons in its history, and the current situation isn’t giving anyone much reason for optimism. Justin Herbert, meanwhile, has had his own struggles. The quarterback who was supposed to be the face of this franchise has looked increasingly frustrating, and the questions surrounding his play aren’t going away. He currently leads the league in interceptions. Between the on-field struggles and the endless Madison Beer chatter, Herbert has become part of a much bigger circus surrounding this organization. Whatever is going on, the Chargers need their franchise quarterback to start looking like one.
And then there’s the fan situation, which might be the most depressing part of watching this team. Every week, the Chargers seem to be completely outnumbered by opposing fans in their own stadium. Sometimes it’s not even close. You look into the stands and wonder whether you’re watching a Chargers home game or an away game for whoever happens to be visiting. It’s embarrassing. I understand that Los Angeles is a transplant city, and that the Chargers have a complicated history with their fan base, but the atmosphere is genuinely difficult to watch. There’s something especially pathetic about a team that can’t win games and can’t even fill its home stadium with supporters.
The excuses have to stop. This isn’t bad luck, a tough schedule, or a couple of unlucky bounces. This is a football team that is failing in just about every way imaginable. Bolt up? At this point, somebody might want to check whether the bolts have completely fallen off.