INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Following a tough 17-10 defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs at SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh acknowledged that his team’s coaching was a significant factor in the loss. Despite praising his players’ fighting spirit, Harbaugh expressed concern about the offensive line’s inability to protect quarterback Justin Herbert.
“We need to give Justin more time, another half-second or second,” Harbaugh emphasized. “He’s doing everything in his power to get the ball out quickly, and it’s incredible what he can do. We just need to provide him with a bit more protection.”
Herbert, who was nursing a high ankle sprain and wore a brace, faced intense pressure behind a makeshift offensive line missing key players Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt. The quarterback was sacked twice and pressured on 12 of his dropbacks, with four hits at the time of throw – his most in a game over the past two seasons.
The Chargers’ struggles were compounded by nine penalties, including four false starts by the offensive line. Harbaugh took responsibility for the mistakes, saying they were a coaching issue.
Herbert attempted to adjust his snap cadence to counter the Chiefs’ defensive line, but the strategy ultimately proved ineffective. He acknowledged that better communication at the line of scrimmage could have made a difference.
“We need to stay patient and use our cadence as a weapon,” Herbert said. “We practiced with the reserve line, so we should have been better prepared. I could have done a better job communicating at the line.”
As the Chargers look ahead to their Week 5 bye and subsequent matchup against the Denver Broncos, they’ll need to regroup and address their offensive line woes to give Herbert the protection he needs to succeed.
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