Chargers and Texans Struggle After Strong Beginnings
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Struggling Quarterbacks and a Tough Road Ahead for Chargers and Texans
The NFL season has been underway for two weeks, and already two teams that entered with high hopes are faltering. The Los Angeles Chargers and Houston Texans both started strong but have since stumbled, leaving them facing long odds to make the playoffs.
One of the most striking aspects of these teams’ struggles is the performance of their quarterbacks. Justin Herbert, the Chargers’ talented young signal-caller, has been inconsistent so far this season. He struggled in Week 2 against the Las Vegas Raiders, throwing for just 192 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. His accuracy was off-target, completing only 56% of his passes.
C.J. Stroud, the Texans’ quarterback, had an equally disappointing game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. Despite a strong defensive effort, Stroud struggled to move the ball through the air, completing just 30 of 55 passes for 353 yards without a touchdown.
The teams’ struggles are not limited to their quarterbacks. Both the Chargers and Texans have been plagued by mistakes on offense - drops, penalties, fumbles, and poor line play have all contributed to their woes. Their coaches, Jim Harbaugh and DeMeco Ryans, are well aware of these issues.
Harbaugh’s post-game comments after the Chargers’ loss were telling: “We’re losing in the margins, that’s what we have to get fixed.” Stroud acknowledged that his team needs to improve on several fronts: “There are a lot of things that we need to be doing better if we’re going to win.”
The numbers don’t look good for these teams. Since the NFL expanded its postseason to 14 teams in 2020, only 16% of teams that have started 0-2 have made the playoffs. Moreover, only three teams have ever come back from a 0-2 start to win a Super Bowl.
The Texans’ situation is not entirely new territory; they started last season 0-3 but managed to turn things around and make the playoffs. However, for the Chargers, this is unfamiliar ground. Their coach, Harbaugh, has never before begun a season with two losses.
As these teams move forward, it’s clear that they have their work cut out for them. They’ll need to address their quarterback play, correct their mistakes on offense, and get back to basics if they hope to salvage their seasons. But can they do it? History suggests it won’t be easy, but we’ll be watching closely as these two teams try to dig themselves out of this hole.
The implications for both the Chargers and Texans are significant, not just in terms of their playoff hopes but also in terms of their long-term prospects. If they can’t get their acts together now, what does that say about their chances for success down the line? And what will it mean for their fans, who were expecting big things from these teams?
The clock is ticking for both the Chargers and Texans. Can they turn things around before it’s too late?
Reader Views
- TIThe Ink Desk · editorial
The Chargers and Texans are learning the hard way that September's optimism can quickly turn into October despair. What's most concerning is how these teams' struggles are not just about their quarterbacks, but also a fundamental lack of cohesion on both sides of the ball. The statistics may be grim for 0-2 teams, but it's not impossible to make a deep run – we need only look back at last year's Dolphins or 2019's Giants as cautionary tales. But for now, these two teams' chances of success are dwindling by the minute.
- MPMira P. · comics critic
The NFL's graveyard of hopelessness is growing, and the Chargers and Texans are its latest additions. Their early-season struggles should come as little surprise given their underwhelming offseason moves, but that doesn't excuse the mediocrity we're witnessing from these supposedly playoff-caliber teams. With an improved schedule coming up, these squads will need to fix more than just their quarterbacks' inaccuracy; they'll have to revamp their entire approach if they want to stay relevant. Anything short of a drastic course correction will likely seal their fate as also-rans once again.
- KAKenji A. · longtime fan
It's déjà vu for Chargers and Texans fans who thought they saw this coming. The issue isn't just with Justin Herbert and C.J. Stroud - though their inconsistency is a big part of the problem. It's about systemic issues on both teams: porous defense, ineffective coaching adjustments, and players making fundamental mistakes that can be fixed. For now, it's hard to see how either team recovers from 0-2 holes, but if they do make a comeback, it won't be because they suddenly got better at passing the ball, but rather because their opponents started falling apart at the seams.