After a 2-0 start to the season, Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers have lost back-to-back games against solid AFC opponents. The team heads into their Week 5 bye with a 2-2 record and some things to fix.
Harbaugh has helped the unit revamp its identity, but there are still some flaws that need to be tweaked. Ideally, the team’s bye would take place later in the year.
That would allow the team to benefit more from the injuries throughout the roster, although the Chargers have their fair share of those at the moment. Due to the bye being so early in the season, they won’t use it solely as a week of rest.
“When it [the bye] comes this early, if you can get your team back, refreshed, but also take advantage of the things we need to get better at… Bye week? I’d call it Opportunity Week,” Harbaugh said after Sunday’s loss. “An opportunity to improve in the areas we need.”
Those areas of improvement mainly come on the offensive side of the ball. Through the first four weeks, the Chargers are second-to-last in the NFL in passing. The team’s lack of playmakers on the outside is a big reason for that, but it’s something that needs to be worked on.
After an amazing start to the season, the running game has also fallen off in the last two games. If the team wants to return to its winning ways, it starts in the run game.
Overall though, the Chargers have been better than most people expected them to be. Harbaugh has been a big reason for that as he’s instilled an immediate transition in the culture within the team.
Particularly, the unit has been much more physical this season which has led to a dramatic improvement on the defensive side of the ball. Per usual, injuries have already began to stack up for the Chargers.
The Bolts come out of their bye week with back-to-back road games, beginning with the Broncos in Week 6. Coming off consecutive losses, these next few games will truly show us what the 2024 Chargers are made of.
