Jim Harbaugh backs Mike McDaniel after Chargers

SEATTLE — Freakish start, acquainted end.

The first NFL sport to open with back-to-back interceptions ended Sunday with another loss by the Chargers, who are 0-4 and still looking for solutions.

The 30-23 defeat to the Seattle Seahawks didn’t really feel as close as the ultimate rating suggests, as quarterback Justin Herbert took a beating — including some hits that had been flagged — and now is surrounded by the strolling wounded.

Not only had been the Chargers without All-Pro security Derwin James Jr., deactivated because of an ailing hamstring, but they now are also dealing with accidents to both beginning tackles and No. 1 receiver Ladd McConkey.

The franchise is 0-4 for the first time since 2017, its first season back in Los Angeles, and there’s no indication this group will U-turn the way in which that one did.

“Being 0-4 is super frustrating,” said edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu, who reeled in an interception on Seattle’s first play from scrimmage. “It’s disappointing. It’s not where we need to be, not where we expected to be. It’s going to take all the effort we can to get this turned around.”

What a month in the past would have been unthinkable — the job security of coach Jim Harbaugh and new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel — might percolate into a speaking level, even though it’s unlikely the membership would make a drastic transfer at this level.

Harbaugh, for occasion, is under contract for two more seasons, and the Chargers would owe him more than $30 million if they had been to let him go. Besides, he had never been 0-2 in his teaching profession, school or execs, let alone double that.

As for McDaniel, his offense has yet to get traction, and severe questions have surfaced about whether or not the Chargers have the best personnel to successfully run his scheme.

Asked after the sport whether or not the Chargers plan to make a change at offensive coordinator, Harbaugh said no.

“Like our players, we have skilled coaches and we’re going to keep growing,” Harbaugh said.

On paper, the Chargers completed within a landing of Seattle — their closest remaining rating this season — and conceivably might have solid a tie after taking over at their 11 with 1:42 on the clock and trailing by a landing.

The Seahawks had been outscored, 17-3, in the ultimate 1½ quarters but that felt more like Seattle letting an in-control sport slip away by committing errors and penalties than it did the Chargers imposing their will.

The Chargers had been flagged 16 occasions and the Seahawks 14.

Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, left, stands next to head coach Jim Harbaugh before a loss to the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium on Sept. 13.

(Kyusung Gong / Associated Press)

By the two-minute warning, quarterback Justin Herbert had taken a cover-your-eyes beating that included a couple of roughing-the-passer penalties, 4 sacks and 9 hits. Three performs into the Chargers’ remaining desperation drive, the Seahawks had a strip sack and recovered the fumble, then ran out the clock with kneeldowns.

Harbaugh called the exhibiting by Herbert “one of the grittiest performances I’ve been associated with from a quarterback.”

On the first play from scrimmage, Herbert threw to his left and was intercepted. The crowd at Lumen Field erupted. On the next play from scrimmage, Tuipulotu intercepted Sam Darnold and abruptly the place was Lumen Library.

According to Elias Sports Bureau, which has stored such statistics since 1978, that marked the first time an NFL sport has began interception-interception.

Injuries are piling up for the Chargers. In addition to taking part in without James, the Chargers misplaced McConkey (foot), proper sort out Joe Alt (neck) and left sort out Rashawn Slater (ankle) for all or half of the second half.

At least last season the Chargers might level to a particular positional breakdown. Their offensive line was a catastrophe. This 12 months, nothing is working properly — although the protection did flip in a gem for three quarters in the Week 3 loss at Buffalo, including 5 takeaways.

There’s little respite to be discovered in the Chargers’ upcoming video games. They play host to Denver next Sunday, then are at Kansas City, and play the Rams after a week off. Then, the Chargers have a home sport against Houston — also surprisingly winless — then play at Baltimore, where the 3-1 Ravens are coached by former Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter.

The Seahawks, the defending Super Bowl champions, received a collective whiff of smelling salts before Sunday’s sport, having suffered an embarrassing loss at Washington a week earlier. They weren’t about to lose back-to-back video games for the first time since 2024.