INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- Jim Harbaugh spoke slowly. Haltingly. Almost dazed as he tried to wrap his mind around the Los Angeles Chargers' season-opening [26-14 loss](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7590489/2026/09/13/cardinals-chargers-nfl-2026-26-14-takeaways/) to the Arizona Cardinals.
In an NFL Week 1 contest at SoFi Stadium, the Chargers should have unveiled their newly redesigned offense in grand fashion, lighting up the scoreboard against an opponent who, on paper, appeared dramatically inferior.
Instead, the unit directed by heralded new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel largely stumbled and fumbled its way through the afternoon and, much to the Chargers' surprise, never managed to produce any kind of sustained success.
"There were quite a few things," Harbaugh said. "Much to get better at. … It's not the start that we wanted, but credit to the Cardinals. And it'll be about our resolve, our way we bounce back."
The Chargers had enjoyed loads of feel-good vibes about McDaniel leading up to Sunday. Harbaugh hired McDaniel, the former Miami Dolphins head coach regarded as one of the NFL's brightest offensive minds, in January with the goal of elevating quarterback Justin Herbert and the offense to an elite level. Harbaugh and McDaniel described their partnership as a perfect match. McDaniel repeatedly praised Herbert for his impressive skill set and potential within the system and how those gifts would enable him to expand his playbook like never before.
Last season, the Chargers ranked 12th in offensive yards (333.8 per game) but 19th in points (21.6). They were among the worst at converting in the red zone (45.76 percent). McDaniel was supposed to quickly correct the problem areas.
So after weeks and months of encouraging practices, the Chargers' players and coaches were stunned by Sunday's mistakes. They scored just once in each half, and they turned the ball over on downs three times and crossed midfield only once in the second half.
The Chargers were flat-out bad.
"Definitely a little surprised," left tackle Rashawn Slater said. "I think it was uncharacteristic of us."
"It's the feeling of you get punched," Harbaugh said. "And how we respond is what I'm thinking about right now."
The Chargers on Sunday received a valuable lesson that it's not enough to have a fancy new playbook bursting with endless possibilities and exquisitely designed plays. Even the most creative play caller can't overcome sloppy, undisciplined play and inattention to detail.
Herbert played just seven snaps in two preseason cameos, so the Chargers didn't have a true indication of whether their new offensive architect had shored up the weak areas. But briefly Sunday, it appeared as if the Chargers would dazzle despite the lack of an expansive dress rehearsal.
The offense cruised downfield on its first possession, scoring a touchdown (an Omarion Hampton 8-yard run) to cap an eight-play, 77-yard drive in which Herbert completed all three of his pass attempts to wide receiver Ladd McConkey for 60 yards. And Los Angeles displayed promise on its second series until Hampton fumbled at the Arizona 30-yard line roughly 90 seconds into the second quarter.
Later that quarter, the Chargers marched 66 yards on 10 plays, reaching the Arizona 3 before stalling and facing fourth-and-goal. Down 10-7, Harbaugh could have opted for a chip-shot field goal to tie the score with 1:55 left in the half. Instead, he went for it, only to see a fierce pass rush up the gut led by Cardinals defensive tackle Dante Stills overwhelm Herbert for a sack, a loss of 10 yards and a turnover on downs.
From there, the Chargers never fully recovered. They punted to open the second half. They did score on a three-play, 60-yard drive (largely made possible by a 48-yard pass interference penalty on Arizona) capped by a Herbert-to-McConkey toss. But the Chargers never crossed midfield again, their possessions ending with a punt, a blocked punt, an interception and two turnovers on downs.
Adding insult to injury, McConkey left the game with a chest injury midway through the fourth quarter and did not return. He led the Chargers with five catches for 82 yards and the touchdown.
Five penalties, misalignments, errant passes, blown blocking assignments, a sputtering rushing attack and a turnover combined to cripple the offense. Meanwhile, the Cardinals turned a one-score halftime lead into a double-digit advantage by game's end.
Disappointment hung heavy in a relatively silent locker room after the game. Numerous players departed before reporters entered.
"We just have to execute … to not have penalties," Herbert (17-for-27 for 209 yards, a touchdown, an interception and three sacks) said during a postgame news conference. "We've got to score in the red zone. We didn't execute those third downs, and we didn't move the ball that we needed to. They played well, but it's on us to play better. It's on us to go score points, make sure that we're doing everything we can on third down in the red zone and limiting turnovers."
Herbert dismissed the notion that the struggles stemmed from a lack of real game time in the offense.
"We've run those plays since OTAs and since (training) camp, so we know them, and we just have to go out there and do what we know we're capable of," he said. "(Newness) hasn't been an issue at all. So we're going to watch the film and see where we went wrong and what we can learn from it."
Although troubled by the performance, Harbaugh refused to sound any alarms and instead declared confidence in his players.
"We have to tackle them all," he said, referring to the problem areas. "I know the type of competitors we have, and I know there'll be a big bounce back."
Slater echoed his coach's sentiments.
"You know, it's Week 1," the sixth-year veteran said. "Not to make an excuse, but at the same time, I don't think we're going to be looking at Week 1 come Week 16. So, we just have to keep rolling, keep getting better, and that's what it's all about."
This article originally appeared in [The Athletic](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7592515/2026/09/14/chargers-offense-cardinals-herbert-mcdaniel/).