The Los Angeles Chargers dropped to 0-2 on Sunday after a 26-14 home loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, matching the score of their Week 1 defeat to the Arizona Cardinals.
Both setbacks came at SoFi Stadium. The Chargers entered the season as a popular Super Bowl pick and Justin Herbert as an MVP candidate. Those projections already look shaky.
Herbert completed 15 of 27 passes for 192 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions against Las Vegas. He also took three sacks.
Through two games he is 32 of 54 for 401 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. That works out to a 59.3 percent completion rate and a 71.6 passer rating.
Kirk Cousins threw for 253 yards and three touchdowns for the Raiders, who improved to 2-0. Tre Tucker had 119 receiving yards and a score. Cody White, elevated from the practice squad a day earlier, caught two touchdowns.
The Chargers outgained Las Vegas 310-305 and held the ball longer, 32:17 to 27:43. They still committed three turnovers to the Raiders’ one and failed to score in the fourth quarter.
Omarion Hampton rushed 23 times for 94 yards and a touchdown. That ground game was not enough to offset the passing-game mistakes and late-game breakdowns.
Asked whether anger had set in after two home losses to teams many viewed as lesser opponents, Herbert had a blunt response.
“No, I don’t think so. There’s a group full of grown men that can handle their job, and they’re going to do everything they can to correct it and fix it,” Herbert said.
“We’re going to stick together, and it’s tough. No one wants to lose two games, but there’s nothing we can do about it now, so we’ve got to get better and fix it.”
Coach Jim Harbaugh said the effort was there.
“We’re losing in the margins. That’s what we have to get fixed.”
Historically, an 0-2 start is a steep climb. Since the 1970 merger, only about 10 percent of teams that opened 0-2 have reached the playoffs. The rate has not improved much even after the league expanded the postseason field and the regular season.
The Chargers now travel to face the 2-0 Buffalo Bills on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. Buffalo has looked sharp on both sides of the ball.
Los Angeles ranks near the bottom of the league in points scored at 14.0 per game. Opponents have averaged 26.0 against them.
Herbert remains the face of the franchise and the offense’s engine. The supporting cast, including new coordinator Mike McDaniel, has not clicked in the first two weeks.
The remaining schedule includes road games at Seattle and Kansas City plus a home date with Denver. Digging out of an 0-2 hole will require cleaner football and fewer self-inflicted errors.
Two games do not end a season. They do, however, leave little room for more of the same.
