The Los Angeles Chargers’ defense looked lost against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 7. There’s really no sugarcoating it. Yet, the Chargers’ head coach Jim Harbaugh was not ready to throw anyone under the bus. Instead, Harbaugh is leaning on optimism and patience.

“From our whole team, courage, fight, our guys never quit,” Jim Harbaugh said. “That’s the big thing I take away. We’re going to need all that fight, all that courage on a short week.”

However, unlike Harbaugh, defensive coordinator Jesse Minter was not afraid to call out three defeats in the last four games.

“We’re not where we want to be. We’ve had a couple [of] rough games in a row. …I always look at myself first, always have, always will. I think everybody, to a man, on our side of the ball would say we all need to be better. It’s really that simple.”

But fixing it won’t be easy. The Chargers couldn’t slow down Daniel Jones and the Colts’ offense at SoFi Stadium. the Colts’ QB carved through the secondary, throwing for 288 yards and two touchdowns on 23-of-34 passing. Jonathan Taylor was not behind as well. He ran wild. The 26-year-old right back shredded the Bolts for 94 yards and three touchdowns on just 16 carries.

Now, it’s officially a trend. The cracks are widening, and the frustration is showing. Just like Minter, a few players subtly hinted that the defensive unit needs more accountability.

Unlike Jim Harbaugh, his players called out defense

For the first three weeks, the Bolts looked like a well-oiled machine. The offense was humming behind Justin Herbert, who looked every bit the star he’s paid to be. The defense? Locked in and ruthless. They held divisional rivals in check and looked like one of the most balanced squads in the league. SoFi Stadium buzzed like it hadn’t in a long time.

But that hot start feels like a distant memory now. Over the last four games, the Chargers have hit a wall, dropping three of them in ugly fashion. The latest loss stung the most. Even their defensive captain couldn’t hold back. Chargers safety Derwin James didn’t mince words after the meltdown.

“We played like sh-t, we looked like trash, we gave up 40 points in our own stadium. We weren’t locked in on the details. Simple [expletive] to the flat, boots, everything we practiced,” James said.

Linebacker Daiyan Henley backed him up. “It just wasn’t good enough,” Henley said. “Details, obviously. Little things turn to big things.”

According to TruMedia, this was the Chargers’ worst defensive performance by expected points added per play since Harbaugh and Jesse Minter took over. So now the Chargers fans expect urgency, not excuses. Let’s see how they approach the Week 8.