Week 5 in the NFL featured some pretty incredible coaching gaffes that directly led to losses. Whether the leaders in charge of their teams just zoned out for a second, forgot what situation they were in or chose the wrong strategy, multiple fan bases were driven to madness by their franchises' decision-makers. There were coaches who forgot about the clock, coaches who got either too aggressive or too conservative, and a coach already on the hot seat who admitted he cost his team the game.
Week 5 almost saw it all when it comes to coaching blunders. Below, we break down and rank the notable coaching gaffes from this past week in the NFL, going from "That's pretty egregious," to "Sir, what the hell are you doing?" "I can't think of a time I've ever been more mad at myself" The 2026 season has been a nightmare for the Los Angeles Chargers. Not only are they 0-5, but the Justin Herbert and Mike McDaniel marriage has not gone according to plan.
Plus, injuries are again beginning to mount. It looked like the Chargers were on their way to winning their first game of the season against the rival Denver Broncos on Sunday. The Chargers held a 17-10 lead early in the fourth quarter and just watched Wil Lutz miss a 42-yard field goal.
They had all the momentum, but Jim Harbaugh wanted more. The Chargers decided to go for it on a fourth-and-1 at their own 41-yard line. Herbert was stuffed, and the Broncos took over on downs.
That fourth-and-1 failure marked the beginning of the end for Los Angeles. The Broncos went 41 yards on five plays and tied the game with a Courtland Sutton touchdown. Then, two plays into the Chargers' next possession, Herbert was sacked and fumbled away the ball.
That turnover led to a Broncos field goal, which gave Denver a 20-17 lead. On the Chargers' next possession, Herbert threw an interception on fourth-and-6, setting up another Broncos field goal. "The reason [the Broncos] won the football game is because Jim Harbaugh was an idiot!
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