The Chargers finally made a play they could hang in the Louvre — a spectacular 42-yard touchdown run — but in the end Sunday only wound up with another L.
It was their fifth loss in a row this season, another turnover-plagued nightmare, that resulted in a 23-17 defeat to the Denver Broncos.
Most painful for the Chargers is that they came tantalizingly close to their first victory, claiming their first lead late in the third quarter only to hand it back with three consecutive turnovers in the fourth.
It was a Justin Herbert meltdown, as the Chargers quarterback was stonewalled on a fourth-and-one keeper, fumbled away the next possession and was intercepted on the next. The Broncos tied the game after their defensive stop, then gradually inched away.
Herbert was sacked five times and had a fumble and an interception. His team is 0-5 for the first time since 2003, when the Chargers lost their first five games on their way to a 4-12 season.
The road ahead is steep. The Chargers play at Kansas City on Sunday, then face the Rams after a week off.
Dating to last season, Herbert has gone seven consecutive games with at least as many interceptions as touchdowns.
Just like last year, he was playing behind a cobbled-together offensive line Sunday, with starting tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater injured a week earlier in the loss at Seattle.
The Chargers started four rookies on the offensive line, three of whom are backups. They also were without All-Pro safety Derwin James Jr., who missed a second game with a hamstring injury, and No. 1 receiver Ladd McConkey, hobbled by an injured foot.
Still, the game was tight for three-plus quarters because Denver couldn’t get its offense rolling, either. Through three quarters, the Broncos had run 37 offensive plays, all but two of which went for fewer than 10 yards.
After the Chargers forged a 10-10 tie with the touchdown to Hayden Rucci, they claimed the lead with Kimani Vidal’s terrific 42-yard touchdown run.
Oddly, seeing as it came on his home field, Vidal’s touchdown only quieted SoFi Stadium, which was awash in orange jerseys.
The place would reignite, however, with the trio of Chargers turnovers.
Rumblings are ramping up for a different kind of Charger turnover. The team has not been able to consistently move the ball despite changing offensive coordinators to Mike McDaniel, former head coach of the Miami Dolphins.
Coach Jim Harbaugh said after the loss to Seattle that there are no plans to replace McDaniel, but that drum beat grows louder with each loss.
The Chargers struggled from the start. Their first pass, a completion to tight end Charlie Kolar, was fumbled away. That came a week after Herbert’s opening throw was picked off by Seattle.
The Chargers amassed 74 yards of offense in the first half, and were penalized five times for 58 yards.
The Broncos weren’t much better with 129 yards of offense and three penalties.
Whereas the Chargers were looking for their inaugural victory, the Broncos were looking to get their first AFC West win, having lost their opener at Kansas City.
There’s an interesting connection between Harbaugh and Denver coach Sean Payton. Harbaugh’s rookie season with the Chicago Bears was 1987, when NFL players went on strike. The starting quarterback for Chicago’s replacement squad, nicknamed the “Spare Bears,” was Payton.
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