The Los Angeles Chargers and Indianapolis Colts both came out of the gate this season looking like powerhouses, each sitting at 3-0 and playing some of their best football. But while the Colts have managed to keep their momentum rolling, Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers have completely lost their rhythm. That was on full display today in a 24-38 loss to Indy. And Harbaugh opened up on some of the coaching struggles.

When asked after the game if coaching might be part of the Chargers’ inconsistency, Jim Harbaugh didn’t dodge the question. “Just everything that we’re doing in all 3 phases-just a little bit better.” He claimed that he believes that he has the talent to make a good run, but noted a few miscues in the run defense.

“Continue to work. There’s been a few fits that have been off,” he remarked. Well, the run defense is especially bad, sure. But LA was poor across the board tonight.

The one real positive for the Chargers came from Justin Herbert, who put up some eye-popping numbers even in the loss. The quarterback went 37-of-55 for 420 yards (a career high) and threw three touchdowns. But those stats came with baggage: two costly interceptions that helped dig an early 3-23 hole.

It’s not like he had much help. The offensive line struggled again, letting Herbert get sacked three times and hit 15 times. To compare, Colts quarterback Daniel Jones was only hit five times. Protection has been a problem all season. Herbert has been sacked 15 times this year. Hopefully, things will improve when Joe Alt returns.

But the real disaster was the run defense.

The Chargers had absolutely no answer for Jonathan Taylor, who torched them for 94 rushing yards and three touchdowns on just 16 carries, while also hauling in all three of his targets for another 38 yards. This game probably made him the frontrunner for the offensive player of the year.

Even star safety Derwin James didn’t shy away from criticizing his defense.

Derwin James puts the Chargers’ defense on blast

The Chargers’ defense made it a little too easy for the Colts: missed tackles, blown assignments, and busted coverage all over the place. Every mistake LA made, Indy capitalized on. And James was brutally honest about it.

“We looked like s**t today,” he said after the game. “We looked like trash today, gave up 40 points in our own stadium.”

Hard to argue with him. The Colts scored touchdowns on their first three drives and found the end zone on six of their first seven possessions. Even when the Chargers’ defense finally got a key fourth-down stop late in the game, Daniel Jones slammed the door shut with a 13-yard strike to Alec Pierce on third-and-10.

Linebacker Daiyan Henley echoed that frustration, admitting that the defense failed to execute. It just wasn’t good enough,” Henley said. “Details, obviously. Little things turn to big things.” At least both Harbaugh and the players are taking accountability. That’s a start.

The 38 points Indy dropped were the second-most the Chargers have allowed since Jim Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter took over, just behind the 40-point outing Tampa Bay hung on them last December.

According to TruMedia, it was their worst defensive performance by expected points added per play since Harbaugh and Minter arrived. Even worse than that 40-17 meltdown against the Buccaneers. Hopefully, Jim Harbaugh approaches this with a sense of urgency.