Chargers fall to 0-6 as Harbaugh stays mum on McDaniel — SkimNews
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- Jim Harbaugh declined to commit to Mike McDaniel as play-caller after the Chargers' 22-6 loss at Kansas City dropped them to 0-6 for the first time since 2000, saying the staff will "look at everything" offensively and acknowledging the job "starts with me."
- Justin Herbert threw his league-high eighth interception of the season and registered under 100 first-half passing yards for the third time this year, with a league-low 30.2 QBR entering Week 5; when asked what hasn't clicked, he said, "If I had the answers, then we'd definitely be having a different conversation."
- The Chargers' offense now ranks last in the NFL at 15.0 points per game after managing a season-low 259 total yards and six points against the Chiefs.
- The team has used eight different offensive line combinations with nine different linemen starting at least one game, per ESPN Research, and started four rookies on the line for the second straight week.
- Ladd McConkey returned from a foot injury only to be ruled out in the second quarter with a concussion, leaving the wideout rotation to Quentin Johnston, KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Theo Wease Jr. and Derius Davis.
- Harbaugh had said after a Week 4 loss to the Seattle Seahawks that McDaniel's job was "not in jeopardy"; four days later McDaniel called for his firing "the territory," and on Thursday said coaching for his job is central to his role.
Why it matters: At 0-6 with a 30th-ranked scoring offense and a quarterback leading the league in interceptions, the Chargers face a decision point on McDaniel's play-calling duties with no answers in sight — Harbaugh explicitly refused to use the documented injury toll (eight OL combinations, four rookie starters, McConkey's in-game exit) as justification, putting the accountability squarely on the staff he assembled.
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