The Los Angeles Chargers are looking into the abyss with the franchise's future firmly in question after what has largely been a lifeless 0-3 start. As they well know by now, no victory is gift-wrapped in the NFL, but they sure as heck missed some gimmes en route to this winless start. They were sizable favorites at home in Week 1 and Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders, who each lost 14 games last season.
They lost both of those contests, 26-14. Then, as the schedule ramped up in Week 3 and they traveled to Buffalo to face the Bills, they saw Josh Allen and Co. come out flat. Los Angeles jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter and generated five turnovers in the game.
Yes, despite a double-digit lead and a handful of turnovers, they were outscored 24-6 the rest of the way to drop what should've been another layup opportunity. Mood for Chargers fans pic.twitter.com/YIGmx01JZP Coming into Sunday, teams with 5-plus turnovers and a -4 turnover margin were 2-81-1 straight up since 2013, according to the Action Network. The Chargers became just the third team to allow a win in that scenario, joining ... the Chargers (2015 and 2022).
Since the playoffs expanded in 2020, only one team has overcome a 0-3 start to the season and still make the playoffs (2025 Texans). All other 24 teams that previously endured this type of slow start ended up on the outside looking in on the postseason. Looking at the upcoming schedule, a 0-9 record feels more plausible than them clawing back to playoff relevance.
Four of their next six opponents won a playoff game last season, with the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens being the other two teams on the docket. Four of those six games are also on the road. Again, this is a team that was a sleeper Super Bowl pick coming into the season as well as a possible AFC West winner.
All that optimism feels like a lifetime ago, and we're just three weeks in. So let's predict a little bit. What does this Chargers team do if the bottom continues to fall out from under them and the 0-9 fears are, in fact, realized?
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