The Morning-After Thunder: Everybody Should be Irate, Frustrations From Loss

The Los Angeles Chargers are 0-3 and are in the midst of a five-game losing streak dating back to Week 18 in 2025. Once again, the Chargers defense gave the team every chance to win and went toe-to-toe with Josh Allen and the Bills' juggernaut offense. The defense held down the fort until they finally couldn't with no support from the offense.

This past offseason, the Chargers moved on from former offensive coordinator Greg Roman after the offensive failure to score enough points to win in back-to-back wildcard playoff losses in where the defense put forth a heroic effort to keep the Chargers in the game in both contests. The Chargers made the splash hiring of the offseason by landing former Miami Dolphins head coach to take over as offensive coordinator and transform the offense.

The hiring of McDaniel was the second attempt from the Chargers to bring him in to be Justin Herbert's offensive coordinator. When the Chargers hired new head coach Brandon Staley in 2021, Staley attempted to interview McDaniel to be his offensive coordinator but was blocked by the 49ers as they promoted McDaniel to the same position.

McDaniel went on to become the head coach of the Miami Dolphins and coordinated some of the most prolific and exciting offenses in the NFL for multiple years. The excitement of pairing Justin Herbert with the innovative mind of McDaniel had every fan, analyst and sportsbook believing in the Chargers offensive potential.

The general consensus from the media this offseason when the Chargers had to replace Jesse Minter on the defensive side of the ball was that the Chargers offense would be so explosive and efficient that a step back from the defense would not be catastrophic. That narrative has completely flipped after three weeks of the 2026 season.

The Chargers defense showed up in the Bills new stadium ready for an absolute fistfight. They brought energy and intensity and most importantly, they got five turnovers on the most dangerous offense in the NFL and the Chargers offense mustered only 13 points off of those turnovers. The Chargers twice made it to the goal line and seemingly failed their way out of touchdowns as Mike McDaniel called plays that simply did not work and the Chargers continued to shoot themselves in the foot with procedural penalties. The offense's failure was so spectacular that Tom Brady nearly had a meltdown at the play calling from the broadcast booth.

For the second week in a row, Mike McDaniel has called plays with motion or from shotgun with short-yardage to gain. In week two, the Chargers faced a critical third-and-inches and the snap hit Tre Harris as he was in motion resulting in a fumble and forced punt. The Chargers offensive line has not been performing well, but with less than a yard and three attempts at it, the argument to keep it simple has been more and more validated as the failures mount.

The expectations this team entered the season with were immense. They have been nothing short of a massive disappointment to everyone, including themselves. Left tackle Rashawn Slater has lamented at the missed opportunities and self-inflicted mistakes over the past few weeks.

Rashawn Slater says it feels "terrible" after the Chargers fell to 0-3 to start the season.

"We've got to stop shooting ourselves in the foot ... we got to do better, and we can't just keep saying that. We got to actually do it." @CBSLosAngeles #BoltUp pic.twitter.com/kfjTzyfPMl
— Sports Central LA (@SportsCentralLA) September 27, 2026

The Chargers players are frustrated. Offensive players seem shocked that they can't smooth things out and defensive players are hanging their heads after seemingly doing everything to win. Wide receiver Ladd McConkey, who has been battling through a cracked rib, has been the most consistent and reliable source of the Chargers offense spoke after the game as well and expressed frustration and said "I think everybody should be pissed off."

Ladd McConkey: "I think everybody should be pissed off. Sitting at 0-3 when three games that I feel like we could have won. Had every opportunity. Defense played great. We got to score more points."
— Kris Rhim (@krisrhim1) September 27, 2026

Linebacker Daiyan Henley finished the day with nine tackles, a sack and forced fumble. He struggled after the game to express his frustrations.

Chargers LB Daiyan Henley trying to process the loss:

"When you in a tough spot, I'm sorry, it's hard to find words when you lose a game like that. ... It's a shocker when you can't just put it all together. ... It's frustrating, but ultimately we're connected and we're…
— Noah Furtado (@bynoahfurtado) September 27, 2026

The Chargers players are angry, they are frustrated and confused. Fans are feeling the exact same way. The Chargers will head home before heading up to Seattle to take on the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks in Week four.

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