INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The Los Angeles Chargers got punched in the mouth.
Now what?
That is really the only question that matters after Sunday’s beatdown. The Chargers were played out of SoFi Stadium by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 40-17 loss. No parsing. No silver linings. No need to dive into the weeds to reveal the truth. The score tells the whole story.
“They dominated us,” safety Elijah Molden said.
How the Chargers respond to this game will decide the fate of Jim Harbaugh’s first season in L.A.
Because this is a new challenge for this group. It will test the resolve of what has appeared all season long like a revitalized organization. It will test the players. It will test the coaching staff. It will test the culture Harbaugh has been building since April 2.
The Chargers have lost games this season, but they have not lost like this.
The only other double-digit defeat this year came in Week 3 at the Pittsburgh Steelers. In that game, the Chargers were tied going into the fourth quarter. They were within three points until a Steelers touchdown with 7:02 remaining.
Even in the Week 12 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the Chargers had the ball down by one score in the fourth quarter. A crucial third-down drop from Quentin Johnston changed that game.
The Chargers have been competitive in every game this season. They were not competitive Sunday. Certainly not in the second half, as the defense gave up 27 points on five straight scoring drives and the offense managed just 64 yards.
That is what makes this loss different.
“I’m glad it’s new. I’m glad it’s not familiar,” linebacker Daiyan Henley said. “Every team in NFL history has taken a beating, but not every team comes back from these type of losses. And so we have to be that team that comes back.”
The last five games have been very revealing about where this team is in Year 1 under Harbaugh.
The Chargers have faced five of the 12 best offenses in football: the Cincinnati Bengals, the Ravens, the Atlanta Falcons, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Bucs. Through the first 10 weeks of the season, the Chargers ranked fourth in defensive success rate, according to TruMedia. Since Week 11, when they played the Bengals, the Chargers are 27th in success rate. Through the first 10 weeks of the season, the Chargers ranked second in defensive EPA per play, according to TruMedia. Since Week 11, they rank 21st.
The defense was adding value through the first 10 weeks. They subtracted value during this stretch.
The offense, meanwhile, has gone from mediocre to bad. They ranked 17th in EPA per play through the first 10 weeks of the season, according to TruMedia. They rank 25th since Week 11.
As the defense has faltered against better opponents, the offense has regressed, as well.
The dam seemed to break Sunday against the Bucs.
The Chargers entered this game with the best scoring defense in football.
“Talk about No. 1 scoring defense,” Molden said. “We just gave up 40.”
Mike Evans and the Bucs dominated the Chargers’ in Sunday’s 40-17 loss. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Imagn Images)
The Bucs finished with 506 total yards. Baker Mayfield threw for 288 yards and four touchdowns. The Chargers had no answer for receiver Mike Evans, who caught nine of his 11 targets for 159 yards and two touchdowns. Mayfield was good in structure. Mayfield was good out of structure, particularly in avoiding pressure and shaking off would-be sackers. The Chargers also allowed 223 rushing yards.
“This s— is not acceptable,” Henley said.
Most notably, a defense that had been among the best in the league at stopping explosive plays got gashed. The Chargers gave up 10 explosive plays, including four of at least 25 yards.
They had only allowed four plays of more than 50 yards all season before Sunday. They gave up two such plays to the Bucs — one on a touchdown to Evans and another on a rush from running back Bucky Irving.
“We didn’t stop anything today,” safety Derwin James Jr. said, “and it showed.”
The Chargers were beaten in every phase.
“It was pretty thorough,” Harbaugh said, before pausing for a moment and choosing a different word. “Very thorough.”
The Chargers started the game off well offensively, scoring on their first three drives to build a 17-10 lead. After missing last week with knee and shoulder injuries, rookie receiver Ladd McConkey provided a lift early with three catches on the opening drive, including a touchdown. Johnston turned a red zone comeback route into a 13-yard score in the second quarter, capitalizing on a Tarheeb Still interception — one of only two stops for the defense in the game.
But the offensive performance seemed to pivot on a fourth-down decision from Harbaugh later in the second quarter. Edge rusher Joey Bosa forced a fumble. The Chargers took over near midfield. They moved into Bucs territory thanks to a defensive holding call. Three plays later, the Chargers faced a fourth-and-5 from the Tampa Bay 42-yard line.
For the second time in as many weeks, Harbaugh opted to punt from opposing territory. Punter JK Scott hit his kick into the end zone for a touchback. The Bucs took over at the 20-yard line. The result of the decision was 22 yards in field position.
“It would have been a 60-yard field goal, or go for it,” Harbaugh said. “Our defense had had two good stops, turned the ball over twice. I envisioned punting them down in close and being able to get the ball back.”
The Chargers had also allowed 152 yards by this point. It was clear they were going to have a tough time slowing down Mayfield and the Bucs offense. Harbaugh put too much weight in the turnovers and overestimated how his defense was actually playing.
The Bucs drove 61 yards on the ensuing possession, the first of six straight scoring drives.
The Chargers never scored again.
They could not run the ball. They finished with 32 yards rushing on 11 carries. They could not protect Justin Herbert, who entered the game nursing a sprained left ankle. Herbert was hit 10 times and sacked three times. They struggled to handle the Bucs pressure packages. Herbert was not moving well on the ankle, preventing him from avoiding the rush. He came up limping after the first two sacks of the game. Herbert said afterward his movement was “obviously not to where I’d like to be.”
“I thought he was limited some,” Harbaugh said of his quarterback.
The offensive inconsistencies are alarming. The unit has spurts. But it has not yet put together a complete performance. The sample size has grown to 14 games. This is the Chargers’ identity on that side of the ball.
“We know we got to take that step at this point in the season,” left tackle Rashawn Slater said. “There’s really no excuse. We got to do better. I feel bad. Justin’s playing his ass off. We got to protect better for him and we got to run the ball.”
Added receiver Joshua Palmer: “I just know we need to respond.”
That response will start in four days. The Chargers have three games remaining, starting Thursday night against the Denver Broncos.
“It’s our season on the line,” cornerback Kristian Fulton said. “We’re just going to see how bad guys really want it.”
The Chargers face the 3-11 New England Patriots in Week 17 and the 2-11 Las Vegas Raiders in Week 18. They need two wins to secure their playoff spot. Ten wins automatically earns them a berth after the Miami Dolphins (6-8) and Indianapolis Colts (6-8) both lost Sunday.
“Our focus is on the postseason,” Henley said.
Now the true nature of this team will show itself.
As edge rusher Khalil Mack said, “You learn everything when you’re in adverse situations.”
“How we respond is how professional we are,” defensive lineman Morgan Fox said.
Will the Chargers question everything? Or will they become more resolute in their belief?
“We’re staring at that adversity,” Harbaugh said, “and it’s how we respond.”
(Top photo of Jim Harbaugh: Ric Tapia / Getty Images)