Chargers are struggling to protect Justin Herbert.

What began as musical chairs is starting to sound like a unhappy trombone.

There’s only so many instances you possibly can reshuffle an offensive line before it has a ripple impact on all the soccer staff. The Chargers are reminded of that now as they head into Sunday’s recreation with the Washington Commanders hoping — as opposed to figuring out — they will present satisfactory safety for quarterback Justin Herbert.

After reaching a snug cruising altitude with victories over three consecutive AFC West foes, the staff is headed for a patch of extreme turbulence.

The excellent Joe Alt, who stepped in at left deal with after Rashawn Slater’s season-ending knee injury, is nursing a high ankle sprain and is not going to play against Washington. Right guard Mekhi Becton is coming off a concussion and is listed as questionable. So they’re a month into the season and the offensive line is a stitched-together hodgepodge that couldn’t deal with the defensive entrance of the New York Giants last week.

“It’s like the Cinderella story at some point,” said Duke Manyweather, widely revered offensive line professional. “You know when that clock hits midnight that carriage is going to turn into a pumpkin. You don’t have an answer. You kind of saw that against New York.”

That’s not to say the state of affairs is hopeless. Teams have misplaced key offensive linemen before, and there are different methods to compensate for that. But it’s a quandary for Jim Harbaugh, perhaps the most important since taking over as coach before last season. Heading into training camp this summer season, the offensive line was a strength of the staff, with Slater at left deal with and Alt on the fitting.

The Chargers didn’t do a lot to improve the inside of their line, a legal responsibility in January’s playoff loss at Houston, but signing Becton was a step in the fitting direction. He was a strong run blocker for the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles last season.

Becton sustained a concussion in the Week 3 win over Denver and missed the Giants recreation. He remained in the concussion protocol this week, and his standing for Sunday’s recreation is unclear. He was back at apply Wednesday sporting a yellow no-contact jersey as a precaution.

Communication among the linemen is key.

“Especially with new guys, you have to speak it out for a while before you get to that point of unspoken communication,” proper deal with Trey Pipkins III said. “Once you’ve played next to someone for a long time, you know what they want and what they’re going to do. Until then, it’s about over-communicating everything at the line so everybody’s on the same page.”

It’s unclear when Alt may return after the second-year participant was carted off to the locker room against the Giants and watched the second half on the sideline in avenue garments and a strolling boot. The deal with wore that boot all week.

The Chargers are on their third left deal with in Austin Deculus, who bounced around the league and began one recreation in the past three seasons, second proper deal with and second proper guard.

Chargers offensive linemen, including Jamaree Salyer (68) and Bradley Bozeman (75), stand on the sector during a win over the Denver Broncos on Sept. 21.

(Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)

“At some point you’re starting to play people you haven’t even prepared to really be in there, much less their physical talents,” said Andrew Whitworth, retired All-Pro left deal with and now an analyst for Amazon’s “Thursday Night Football.” “They’re still trying to figure out the offense, the terminology, and they’ve never played beside the guy they’re next to. The war of attrition really starts to take its toll.”

What that does is check the creativity of Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman to devise methods to fortify the road and protect Herbert without whittling away too many offensive choices. They can keep a working back in the backfield to help out with safety, for occasion, or add an further tight end for blocking. But that also handcuffs what the offense can do.

“Sure, you can chip with a back or keep an H-back in there,” Whitworth said. “But then you’ve got fewer guys in the route, you’re holding the ball longer, and now the interior linemen are under even more pressure. You can get by for a few snaps, but you can’t live there.”

In the past two video games, Herbert has been pressured in 46 dropbacks, more than any quarterback in the league, according to TruMedia.

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is sacked during a win over the Denver Broncos on Sept. 21.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Herbert expressed confidence this week in some of the lesser-known gamers blocking for him.

“They’re guys that have seen big football games and guys that played in national championships and huge games like that,” he said. “Maybe it’s new to them for the NFL, but they’ve played in big football games before.”

It’s straightforward to get carried away with what all of this means. The Chargers are 3-1 and atop their division, and are coming off a 21-18 defeat to the beforehand winless Giants, whose move rush is a strength of their staff. What’s more, the Chargers had to make those line changes in the heat of the motion, as opposed to having a week of apply to work with the reconfigured line.

The season is younger. Teams have overcome these varieties of challenges before. The Rams had to reshuffle their line on a number of events last season and wound up coming close to knocking off the Eagles and advancing to the NFC championship recreation.

Still, the next few weeks will likely be illuminating for the Chargers.

“We’re going to learn about the depth of this team,” said Manyweather, founder of OL Masterminds, which trains offensive linemen of all ranges.

“We’re going to learn about the coaching. And we’re probably going to learn even more about Justin Herbert and his ability to create and carry the team.”

We’ll also study if a pumpkin can flip back into a carriage.

Times author Benjamin Royer contributed to this report.