The Seattle Seahawks improved to 3-1 on Sunday with a 30-23 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, who have dropped four straight to open the season.
The Chargers actually outgained Seattle 301 yards to 286, but four turnovers did them in. They also took 16 penalties for 130 yards, and Justin Herbert was sacked four times. Los Angeles showed some fight, cutting a 21-point deficit late, but they ran out of time, and the early mistakes proved too costly.
Speaking with reporters after the game, Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh was asked why Herbert still has to play “hero ball” 2½ years into his tenure. Harbaugh didn’t love the question.
“Yeah, that just sounds more like an insult than it does a question, but if that’s the way you look at it … It’s the kind of competitor that he is,” Harbaugh said. “I’ve never seen him flinch. I’ve never seen him rattled. He’s an amazing inspiration.”
He then turned to the team’s mindset, saying the Chargers “attack, we improve” and “can’t improve everything all at once, but we can improve one thing at a time all the time.”
The reporter followed up and denied he was insulting Herbert, and Harbaugh again declined to address why Herbert has to carry so much.
Herbert has had a rough start to the 2026 season. Through four games, he has completed just 59.7% of his passes for 816 yards and four touchdowns, with six interceptions and 12 sacks taken, tied for the second most in the NFL. He’s the first Chargers quarterback with at least six interceptions and 10 sacks through four games since Ryan Leaf in 2000, according to NFL.com.
Much of that can be traced to the offensive line. Starting center Tyler Biadasz suffered a season-ending knee injury before Week 1, and the interior of the line has struggled. The Chargers also just lost both of their star tackles, Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, to injuries, with Slater expected to be placed on injured reserve with a high ankle sprain.
Herbert has spent years making something out of nothing. Yet, even with a new offensive coordinator, more weapons around him and what was supposed to be a healthy offensive line, nothing has changed.
There’s real heat on the entire Chargers coaching staff to turn things around, beginning with Harbaugh. Los Angeles is 0-4 for the first time under him, in his third season, and the team’s playoff chances are slipping by the day.
Next up is the Broncos at home, followed by road matchups against the Chiefs and Rams.