Well, golly gee! As far as losses go, this weekend’s sure stung!

One does not have to look far to find a myriad of tweets indicating that the Chargers are dead in the water, that they are out of luck and short on talent, and that the next best thing to look forward to is the 2020 draft.

It’s easy to be cynical. The truth is that all is not lost, though the situation might seem dire.

This latest loss, not unlike some of its peers this year, demonstrates a game that could be won with just a few coaching tweaks. The most obvious lapse of judgement can be demonstrated through the ending goal line goof-up, but that’s the kind of easy adjustment that can be corrected without adding or subtracting any players. While the coaching staff this year hasn’t demonstrated the art of analyzing and adapting, this could finally be the impetus to focus on the players that succeed and prioritize successful patterns over slight-of-hand personnel packages.

Reasons for Optimism after Week 7

• The Chargers won the QB battle. Philip Rivers went 329 yards, 2TDs, and 0 INT. Ryan Tannehill went 312 yards, 2TD, and 1 INT
• Austin Ekeler was the best receiver of either team, with 118 yards and a TD on 7 catches
• The Chargers had 24 first downs, compared to the Titans 22
• Tannehill was sacked twice; Rivers was sacked once. This team’s identity should be defense, and these are the battles that need to be won
• While the referees aren’t on most Chargers fans ‘nice’ list, the Bolts did win the penalty battle, getting hit 4 times for 29 yards. The Titans got 7 penalties for 54 yards
• Only one AFC West team won in week 7, but the Chiefs look more human than ever with their signal caller down for the next month
• A bunch of people around LA just won FREE PIZZA because the Chargers made an interception!

• The Chargers didn’t know they beat a quality team when they faced off against the Colts in week 1. Indianapolis has beat the Titans, Texans, and the Chiefs already this year
• The Chargers haven’t really been blown out of the water since they crossed the Patriots in last year’s playoffs. To date, they haven’t lost a game by more than 7 points

Week 8 Optimism

• They next face Chicago, a team that has absolutely no offense to speak of. A challenge, to be certain, but a win that could galvanize the team. The Bears currently average 280.8 total yards per game (30th in the NFL); the Chargers average 377.3 (18th)
• The Chargers have 6 interceptions on the season; the Bears have 4
• Russell Okung is just about ready to make his mark again. Derwin James is still slated for November 3rd or later, but both players are difference makers yet to see the field. Michael Badgley is also (probably?) just about ready
• OK, we’ll go ahead and say it: Even a loss sure makes the draft more interesting, but we’d rather have a win.

-Jason “You know, I actually feel better now” Michaels