The Chargers week two matchup vs their division rivals the Las Vegas Raiders. With a tough loss in week 1 the Chargers looked to bounce back and try to prove to the world and their fanbase that they have the pieces to make this a successful season.
The Mike McDaniel offense is a complicated one. Motion is used in roughly 70 percent of the snaps. With that much movement there absolutely has to be a perfect rhythm and synchronization for the ball play to excel. Quick snaps, confusing the defense, misdirection and by correlation opportunity is what has made Mike McDaniel such a great offensive play caller in the past. Clearly there is a piece of the pie missing. The Chargers tied their franchise record with six fumbles in one game. One of which should have been called an incomplete pass but was ruled a fumble, this mishandling of the ball is one of the big reasons the Chargers lost this game. The biggest one of all coming with less than four minutes left in the fourth quarter when Omarion Hampton fumbled the ball when the Chargers were only down by three points and had every opportunity to either tie the game or run the clock down and score to try to take away any chance the Raiders had at making a run at a final drive.
Penalties, interceptions that were cause by receivers bobbling the ball or not catching a perfect breadbasket throw. Four penalties by Joe Alt alone, this game was riddled with the Chargers shooting themselves in the foot. Wide receivers dropping the ball or receivers attempting to catch a ball when it would have went right into the hands of the wide receiver behind them. Mistake after mistake put this game out of reach for the Chargers. The Chargers clearly the better team, had horrible defensive play calling and offensive schemes, lost this game when it comes down to it because the team wasn’t on the same page on either side of the ball. To cap the entire game off as if losing to a rebuilding Raiders team wasn’t enough, because of a holding call by Joe Alt while the ball was in the endzone, the Raiders ended the game with a safety.
Next Week doesn’t get any better as far as opponents are concerned. The Chargers are set to face off against the Buffalo Bill. The Bills played Thursday night and have three more days of rest than the Chargers do. And with five starters injured and a still not 100 percent Ladd McConkey, the Chargers will be asking for a hope and a prayer against an elite Bills team. Not sure how Harbaugh fixes this, but after being 0-2 for the first time in his coaching career he better figure it out quick. That seat is starting to get warm for the veteran coach.