The Los Angeles Chargers‘ 3-0 start came crashing down in Week 4, as rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart led the winless New York Giants to a 21-18 upset at MetLife. With Justin Herbert under siege and the offensive line in shambles, Jim Harbaugh delivered a pointed message to the locker room.

“He (Justin Herbert) has taken too many hits,” the HC said. “That’s very concerning. We gotta get better. We gotta put him in a better position.” Indeed. The O-line has been a major concern for Harbaugh and the Chargers, even though they won their first three.

They lost Rashawn Slater for the season in training camp after the Pro Bowl left tackle ruptured his patellar tendon. In Slater’s absence, LA shifted Joe Alt to left tackle. For the first three weeks, it turned out to be a great decision. But?

During the first quarter in Week 4, the Giants’ linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux fell into Alt’s right leg, and the LT was then carted off the field.

Alt was ruled out of the game at the beginning of the second quarter. The further reports suggest the 22-year-old has suffered a high ankle sprain, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. But unfortunately, that wasn’t the end of the Chargers’ O-line dilemma.

News served to you like never before!

Prefer us on Google, To get latest news on feed

Prefer Us on Google

They entered the Week 4 game without starting right guard Mekhi Becton, who was ruled out of the game with a concussion. Taken all together, one thing’s clear: It’s hard for any O-line to protect its quarterback when three of the starting front five have been down with injuries (two of which are All-Pro caliber).

So when Jim Harbaugh said that the team needs to put Herbert in a better position, let’s just say the head coach wasn’t just talking the talk.

What’s Jim Harbaugh’s biggest concern?

Heading into Week 4, the Chargers were one of the six undefeated teams, while the Giants were one of the six teams without a win. Well, not anymore. Sure, one ugly loss to the Giants doesn’t change the fact that the Chargers are still a Super Bowl contender.

But as things stand, Justin Herbert’s biggest headache is his O-line, and that’s squarely on Jim Harbaugh to fix. The reasoning is simple.

The quarterback completed just 23-of-41 passes for 203 yards, one touchdown, and a couple of picks. On top of that, Herbert was under constant pressure from the Giants’ pass rush, especially after losing Alt. The New York team’s pass rush lit up Herbert with 12 quarterback hits, with seven of those coming just from Brian Burns and Thibodeaux.

The signs are clear: The damaged O-line is leading to Herbert’s struggles. To make it trickier, Slater is already out. Alt is expected to miss a few weeks. And as for Becton? His return timeline is still unclear. That said, Jim Harbaugh now needs to fix the biggest issue on the team.