You Can't Predict A Season Based On Week 1

[Charge!]

Last season in Week 1 the Bills dismantled the Rams and everybody was convinced Buff was going to win the Super Bowl. The Bengals started 0-2 and everybody was convinced they weren't even going to make the playoffs. But months later, the Bengals beat the Bills with relative ease in Buff to advance to the AFC Championship. This happens every season. Some teams (not all) that start hot fade, and some teams that started slow get hot later in the season. Very often teams look totally different in Week 18 than they did in Week 1.

Every NFL pundit today is marveling at Tua and the Dolphins, calling yesterday "a statement game." blah blah blah But the reality is if JCJ had not had his Marlon McCree moment at the end of the 1st half, the narrative would be completely different today. That one bone-headed decision meant the difference between the Chargers winning the game by a point and losing the game by two.

I am not defending Brandon Staley. I have the same doubts and concerns as most Chargers fans about him. I'm not necessarily trying to be positive. I am being real. Week 1 games don't define a season for a team. It might be different if the Chargers were beat badly on both sides of the ball. But the offense was really good, it is #4 in scoring, #3 in total yards and #1 in rushing after Week 1.

The defense had a bad game. But Week 1 performances don't define an entire season for a defense or an offense. The Chargers have invested heavily in this defense. The Dolphins may very well have the best offense in the NFL right now. The experience of getting torched may help the defense improve. I am not writing off the defense based on a lousy performance in Week 1. And there were some positives. The defense did have its moments where it shut down the Dolphins' passing game. JCJ did have an INT. And the run defense was good.

If the Chargers win their next three and go into their Week 5 bye 3-1, nobody will even care about this game. I see kind of a rivalry building between Staley and McDaniel, the defensive HC vs the offensive HC. Staley won round 1 last season in a game the Chargers dominated. McDaniel was embarrassed and grew sick of hearing about the "Staley plan" and he won round 2 - by the skin of his teeth. Maybe the rubber match comes in January.

It was Week 1. Don't read too much into it. On to Tennessee.

Agree with some of what you said, but week one is VERY important..... The teams that get to SB usually win week one.... with all summer to prepare for ONE game....

If you do lose week one, it matters who you lose to and how you lose the game..... losing to an NFC team would not hurt as much as losing to one of the teams we are competing for a playoff spot with..... this loss to MIA will lose us tie breakers at end of season......

The way we lost this game was really bad......... We were not at all prepared for those simple blitzes on last drive... our defense could not stop the run or the pass...... that does not bode well for future.....Chargers still cannot tackle or control LOS....... that will lose you games against anyone.... TEN will run for 200 plus sunday morning....... Can we out score them...maybe if we execute perfectly on offense...... not likely the way this team is coached....

This team is similar to Air Coryell teams EXCEPT that if game comes down to one drive, we and opponent KNEW that Fouts would drive us to a score.... they were unstoppable.....

Our offense isnt that good yet..... but we have potential to get there.....

The scary thing is this worst in NFL defense we have.... and worst at everything......Is there anything our defense is good at??????

There were zero positives on defense......

[Velo]

The way we lost this game was really bad

The team lost by 2 pts after the offense scored 34 pts and didn't turn the ball over once. Please don't insult my intelligence.

[charger1_sj]

The team lost by 2 pts after the offense scored 34 pts and didn't turn the ball over once. Please don't insult my intelligence.

Very true, we always find a way to lose.