The Official 2026 Chargers Season Discussion - (0-2)

[Dark Helmet]

Chargers D iwas shown to be one of the oldest 3 defenses in the league but Mack and Unc bring that number yup and they are two of the better players on the defense. Then there is Bud. Not really worried about it but the edge rushers need to step up. Tuli was invisible as was Mesidor.

Doesn't help that they were dropping Tuli back into coverage... Whatever the fuck that was about, I nave no clue.

[Dark Helmet]

Rotating Pipkins in is going to become a main talking point if we don't turn it around. All this proves is that Hortiz didn't bring in a viable OG.

Honestly I wish they would just cut him and send a message.

Who rotates offensive linemen? Ever? NO ONE! So idiotic. I'll wait for the All 22, but Awosika didn't look that bad to me. I have no idea what the fuck we're doing with this offensive live, but apparently neither do the powers that be.

[electricgold]

Mike Williams ....if he is in any kind of shape but then he has to learn the offense which is the problem signing a WR. And NO, Tyreek isnt ready to play. At best he wont be til mid season. Likely he doesnt play this season.

Need to look for teams that run a similar O like GB, Rams, AZ, SF.....maybe we can trade for the Packers Jayden Reed. Pipkins should be a part of that package with them.

This is the problem. We never do enough in free agency or the draft and when it rears its ugly head during the season on what we didn't address and becomes painfully obvious we as fans are left grasping at straws.

While we have to listen to Hortiz ramble in the offseason about not ignoring areas of the team and comparing it to a foundation of a house, while at the same time doing exactly that.

[Bolt4Knob]

I wanted us to draft a LB and let Denzel walk. Loved Jacob Rodriguez but we would of had to trade up for him. He had 14 tackles yesterday vs the Raiders.
Or sign one as Denzel is just injured too much. Very effective when he isnt but he just is.

Could of signed Bobby Okereke just a month ago. I do not understand why they dont play Wax at all. All he does is show up when he is in there.

Very surprised Wax didn't play - like you said, just makes plays.

[Bolt4Knob]

This is the problem. We never do enough in free agency or the draft and when it rears its ugly head during the season on what we didn't address and becomes painfully obvious we as fans are left grasping at straws.

when you leave 25-40m on the table spending on players -- this is the result. And that number is on the low side

[Factotum]

This is the problem. We never do enough in free agency or the draft and when it rears its ugly head during the season on what we didn't address and becomes painfully obvious we as fans are left grasping at straws.

While we have to listen to Hortiz ramble in the offseason about not ignoring areas of the team and comparing it to a foundation of a house, while at the same time doing exactly that.

Sorry bud but the boldened part is just BS uttered outta the emotions of a bad loss. Hortiz did plenty in the draft in 2025. He can not coach the players, it is for the coaches to coach them. I kinda lean more toward his FA spending and I wonder if the Johnny Boy handcuffs are still hidden under the desk somewhere. After all the 2 Spanos scions still have some strong say in the spending, I would imagine.

[Boltinloudguy]

That might be the worst game I have ever seen Tuli play

Agreed! I don’t think he’s fully healthy and dropping him into coverage is not his game. O’Leary needs to stop trying to outsmart the other team, especially with your best pass rusher.

[powderblueboy]

Also, what happens when you don't improve it and just get older and slower

People may not like it but I think Hortiz is not being given the resources to do the job at his maximum ability - the math shows it. The Chargers are leaving 30-50m on the table to not put towards the roster

Well, I am not a fan of entirely building though the draft, a long with the minor additions that are not too expensive, ... that worked for the Patriots, and nobody else.

However, Mack was not the problem yesterday, and Unc? ....they should have some young guys waiting in the wings.
In Perryman's absence, they probably should be playing Wax, who is fast and inexperienced.... Mesidore hasn't show up yet. It is not an old secondary, linebacker corp, or defensive front.
They traded away for 6th rounders two UDFA's, so there should be young players who were ahead of them.

Losing Odafe and so far not replacing him ... we'll see about that. Not clear beyond Mack as to where they are older and slower.
Having to bring in another stud because the defense suddenly regressed badly ... that smacks of your infant DC being in over his head

[Boltinloudguy]

Anthony Weaver
Raheem Morris
Dennard Wilson
the guy that went from the Raiders to the Steelers-- Patrick Graham
Jim Leonhard


ALL were available as DC and two of those had worked in and around Minter and McDonald. The first four had a lot of experience

Jim Schwartz as well

[powderblueboy]

Doesn't help that they were dropping Tuli back into coverage... Whatever the fuck that was about, I nave no clue.

Reminds me so much of Staley having Mack cover Tyreek Hill the very first play of the 2023 season. Maybe Staley's greatest WTF moment ... but that is a highly competitive group over which to consider.

[Bolt4Knob]

Well, I am not a fan of entirely building though the draft, a long with the minor additions that are not too expensive, ... that worked for the Patriots, and nobody else.

However, Mack was not the problem yesterday, and Unc? ....they should have some young guys waiting in the wings.
In Perryman's absence, they probably should be playing Wax, who is fast and inexperienced.... Mesidore hasn't show up yet. It is not an old secondary, linebacker corp, or defensive front.
They traded away for 6th rounders two UDFA's, so there should be young players who were ahead of them.

Losing Odafe and so far not replacing him ... we'll see about that. Not clear beyond Mack as to where they are older and slower.
Having to bring in another stud because the defense suddenly regressed badly ... that smacks of your infant DC being in over his head

Its not about just mack and unc - individually. collectively though - the defense got OLDER and OLDER in the NFL is NOT GOOD

there was ZERO reason to not upgrade from Perryman and just settle for an injury prone player like Denzel
And It is an old secondary group -- Jefferson James and Donte J are all 30+

And by older - Mack, Jefferson, Perryman and Tomlinson are all a year older than the players on the roster last year - Mack, Jefferson Perryman and Hand. - thats just reality.

So combined with a new DC -- the team is older this year. Hell Mesidor isn't much younger than Oweh.

[dmac_bolt]

The reality is that we don't have a star studded secondary. Jesse Minter knew this. That is likely why he never blitzed very much. Blitzing requires good man to man coverage.

O'Leary needs to get a handle on this. He was sending up to 5 on blitzes and they were useless at getting to the QB, so that left receivers open everywhere. The Chargers made Jacoby Brissett look like a top QB.

I saw a DB group sit in their presnap and post-snap soft zone assignment spots and watch receivers pull up in the open zone holes and not then break on them fast enough to prevent REC after REC after REC. If you're gonna play zone, you need to read and react to receivers faster than that. I didn't see much difference in rushing 4 or 5. I welcome smarter football takes.

Also saw them getting beat to shit by that TE - he is a beast and will do that to a lot of teams this year.