JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Numbers don’t lie. However generally NFL groups do.
That’s why All-Professional security Derwin James Jr. believes the Chargers must be unmercifully trustworthy in sorting by means of Sunday’s 35-6 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, essentially the most lopsided defeat of the Jim Harbaugh period.
The Jaguars collected 30 first downs, held the ball for practically 16 minutes longer, and restricted Justin Herbert to a career-low 81 yards passing.
Candor incoming.
“Typically you possibly can lie once you wish to shield the opposite facet or shield the participant,” mentioned James, standing in a cramped and somber guests’ locker room. “However I really feel like this crew could be very trustworthy, very clear and all people don’t bought no tender pores and skin. So I really feel like all people can look within the mirror and we’ll be straight.”
The Chargers got here to Jacksonville having gained 4 of 5, and the Jaguars had misplaced three in a row. That wasn’t indicative of what was to return, nonetheless, as Jacksonville dominated the road of scrimmage and the Chargers have been as gentle because the balmy day.
A Jaguars protection that entered the sport with an NFL-low 12 sacks was reworked right into a pass-rushing tsunami, one which sacked Herbert two instances and pressured him on practically each drop-back, sending him to the blue medical tent — albeit on a roughing-the-passer physique slam — earlier than the tip of the primary half.
“We simply by no means actually bought arrange,” Herbert mentioned. “By no means bought in a rhythm or comfy. It begins with the run sport, and we weren’t ready to do this at present. That’s on me to do a greater job getting these completions, discovering straightforward routes to increase performs and convert on third down, which we did a poor job of at present too. However yeah, we simply weren’t good at present.”
Herbert was checked for a concussion within the second quarter and cleared to return. With 11 minutes left and the Jaguars up by 29, he and a number of other different starters have been pulled from the sport.
“We bought beat each which method we may probably be,” Harbaugh mentioned.
Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh seems down on the sideline throughout a 35-6 loss to the Jaguars on Sunday.
(Doug Murray / Related Press)
The loss tied the worst of his NFL profession, a 29-point loss to Seattle in 2012, when Harbaugh was teaching the San Francisco 49ers.
A few of that was all of the offensive line woes coming residence to roost. In previous weeks, the Chargers have been capable of masks that by establishing a floor assault, and with Herbert getting the ball out of his fingers shortly. The Chargers have had greater than a dozen totally different line configurations this season.
There was a flicker of hope for them when, simply earlier than the commerce deadline, they acquired lineman Trevor Penning from the New Orleans Saints. However Penning made his debut at left sort out Sunday and gained’t be placing this sport on his resume. Nor will any of his new linemates.
“It’s not the simplest factor,” Chargers guard Zion Johnson mentioned of the weekly — and generally quarterly — reconfigurations. “However I feel we now have guys on this room who’re up for the problem. We’ve bought to take a tough take a look at the tape, see the place we are able to enhance technique-wise and the place we are able to increase the extent of execution.”
Chargers broad receiver Ladd McConkey is tackled by Jaguars security Andrew Wingard within the first half Sunday.
(Mike Carlson / Getty Pictures)
Jacksonville was the scene of the crime the place three years in the past the Chargers blew a 27-point lead in a first-round playoff loss to the Jaguars.
James, who was a member of that crew, mentioned that may have been a bit of additional salt in Sunday’s wound however, “I hate dropping, interval.”
There’s a while to do this now because the Chargers have every week off earlier than resuming with a Nov. 30 residence sport in opposition to the Raiders.
From the gamers’ perspective, the week off is each a profit and a burden.
“It’s by no means straightforward to enter a bye week off a loss,” Johnson mentioned. “You don’t have the chance to get that bitter style out of your mouth. But it surely at the very least provides us the possibility to have a look at the tape, take a look at the previous few weeks and the season as an entire, and see the place we stand and the place we are able to enhance as an offense and as a soccer crew.”
The 29-point loss was the worst for the Chargers since a 63-21 thrashing by the Raiders on Dec. 14, 2023.
Sunday, the Jaguars ran for 192 yards — the Chargers had 42 — and gained the total-yardage tally, 345-135.
And that was every week after the Chargers’ protection throttled Pittsburgh, with the Steelers going 0 for 9 on third down till rubbish time.
That protection was nowhere to be seen at EverBank Stadium.
“You wish to get off the sector as a result of they’re of their four-minute offense,” James mentioned. “As soon as they get to a three-possession lead, you already know they’re attempting to only maintain the clock working. We are able to’t enable folks to play like that.”
Chargers working again Kimani Vidal, promoted from the follow squad earlier this season after the crew’s prime two backs have been injured, spent a lot of the primary half on the sideline with a leg damage. The Chargers had promoted two extra practice-squad working backs to play behind him.
Jaguars working again Travis Etienne Jr. scores a landing within the fourth quarter in opposition to the Chargers on Sunday.
(Mike Carlson / Getty Pictures)
“We simply weren’t doing something nicely offensively,” Harbaugh mentioned. “We weren’t working the ball nicely. We weren’t defending. Weren’t getting open. And defensively, identical — we weren’t stopping the run, we have been dropping protection. Undergo each part — we bought beat each which method you may get beat.
“We weren’t as bodily as we must always’ve been. We’ll undergo it now and determine what we’re gonna do about it.”
Now, it’s time to look within the mirror.
The reality hurts. For the Chargers, this hurts extra.
