The Los Angeles Chargers gave up 5 sacks and watched their quarterback get pummeled in a 27-10 loss to the Washington Commanders. How much more of this can Justin Herbert take? This wasn’t just a bad loss; it was a portrait of an offense coming apart at the seams, a crisis made worse by a plague of injuries. All-Pro left tackle Rashawn Slater is already out for the season. With Joe Alt also sidelined, head coach Jim Harbaugh was asked if he has the players up front to protect his QB.

His answer was a masterclass in defiance. “Yeah, I do,” Harbaugh stated, seemingly clarifying once and for all that he doesn’t think that the problem lies in the offensive line.

Harbaugh argued the problem wasn’t the players, but the plays that never were. “We started well… efficient, staying ahead of the sticks,” he explained. “And then some of those penalties got us behind the sticks.” He’s got a point.

And look, he’s not entirely wrong. Harbaugh was quick to praise his QB, saying, “I thought Justin had a heck of a game,” but lamented how those flags erased his best work. He mentioned one of the two illegal formation flags, the first of which came in the opening drive of the game.

And the other? “I think it was a false start, I believe, I think. Yeah.” Those were drive-killers, the kind of mental errors that break a team’s rhythm and spirit. But they weren’t the only ones.

Ladd McConkey had a spectacular 57-YD punt return TD erased by a roughing-the-punter call. Down 17-10 in the third quarter, Herbert threw a pass to wideout Quentin Johnston for a first down, only to have the play nullified when right tackle Trey Pipkins III got flagged for holding.

The Chargers were flagged 10 times for a whopping 85 yards. This was their second straight game with a penalty count that reached the double-digit mark. In the 18-21 loss to the New York Giants, they were flagged 14 times for 107 yards.

To make things worse, the penalties were not the only thing that plagued Harbaugh’s team on Sunday.

Omarion Hampton’s update adds to Jim Harbaugh’s woes

Jim Harbaugh had entered the Commanders game with a depleted offense. But the game came with yet another blow.

First-round rookie Omarion Hampton injured his ankle in the second half. He was initially seen in the Changers medical tent for a while and was labeled questionable to return. However, he soon headed to the dressing room and was ruled out of the game.

His absence was immediately felt, forcing the Chargers to turn to 4th-year journeyman Hassan Haskins and Kimani Vidal, a 6th-rounder who hadn’t logged a single carry all season. It was a stark reminder of how thin the depth chart has become.

After Najee Harris went down with an Achilles injury, Hampton had become the offense, putting up a ridiculous 165 yards from scrimmage just last week. Without a reliable run game to lean on, the Commanders’ pass rush pinned its ears back and feasted. They teed off on Herbert, who finished with just 166 passing yards and a back-breaking, tipped-ball INT at the goal line. It was a systematic dismantling. 

After watching your QB get battered, your star rookie go down, and your team implode in a spectacular display of self-sabotage, you have to ask a hard question. Is that statement a reflection of genuine belief, or is it just a prayer sent up into the quiet rafters of a stadium that just saw a winnable game?