EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Since the Los Angeles Chargers drafted quarterback Justin Herbert in 2020, the team's weakness has been its defense. One of the biggest questions surrounding Herbert's lack of team success is what L.A. might look like if it finally got Herbert a defense to pair with the prolific offenses.
This season the Chargers have made that hypothetical a reality.
Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter has guided one of the league's best units, allowing the fewest points per game (13.2). Still, the Chargers sit 3-3 and are losers of three of their last four games. This time, however, the Chargers' issues are on offense.
The latest iteration came in Week 7 against the Arizona Cardinals, a game that the Chargers lost 17-15, leaving without an offensive touchdown. The performance came against a Cardinals team that had been one of the league's worst defenses and raised questions about offensive coordinator Greg Roman's approach and whether the Chargers are talented enough on offense.
"As an offense, everybody's very frustrated," Roman said. "There's definitely some things that we can clean up and get better at. We will."
In the offseason, Roman, who won assistant coach of the year in 2019 for orchestrating one of most creative and dominant rushing offenses in NFL history with the Baltimore Ravens, told reporters that the Chargers would have a dominant run game. Roman was eager to see what Herbert would look like alongside a feared rushing attack.
In Week 1, that vision came to life. The Chargers rushed for 176 yards, which included 135 yards and a touchdown from running back J.K. Dobbins. It was a game where they pulled away from the Raiders late for a win. There was similar rushing dominance in Week 2 when the Chargers beat the Carolina Panthers and rushed for 219 yards in a win.
But Chargers offense has since stalled. They rank 30th in red zone touchdown percentage (38.5%), 26th in points per game (17.6) and 28.1% of their drives have resulted in a punt after three downs, the fourth-highest rate of any team.
The Chargers have been plagued by injury. Herbert dealt with a high ankle sprain, tackles Rashawn Slater (pectoral strain) and Joe Alt (MCL sprain) both missed games, as have multiple receivers, including Quentin Johnston (ankle sprain) and Joshua Palmer (elbow). Herbert and Roman have blamed the offensive issues in part on a new system hindered by players being sidelined.
"Everyone's still getting settled in, we're still finding our identity on offense," Herbert said. He continued: "I still think we're finding our way, but we're improving."
The Chargers have particularly had trouble scoring touchdowns; their nine offensive touchdowns are tied for the second-fewest in the NFL.
In the Cardinals loss, the team gained 395 yards of offense, a total Roman said typically comes with at least 28 points, but the Chargers ended with five field goals. The inability to get into the end zone has hurt this team all season, though, particularly in the second halves of games.
The Chargers' most recent second-half touchdown came in Week 1. The five-game stretch without a touchdown is the longest streak since the Baltimore Ravens' stretch from Weeks 14-18 in 2022, where Roman was the offensive coordinator. Roman resigned after that season.
"It's going to happen; you just don't want it to happen too often, but you can't overreact to it," Roman said of the offensive struggles. "You've just got to look at it, analyze it and see where things went off the rails where a drive got stopped or bogged down for one reason or another."
Another question facing the Chargers offense is personnel. Since trading wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams in the offseason, the Chargers haven't found a reliable option to fill their production. The Chargers traded up to get McConkey in the second round of the draft and expected former first-round pick Johnston to emerge this season. While both have had standout games, their play has fluctuated this season. Johnston missed their last game with a high right ankle sprain.
McConkey, who had two drops in Monday's loss, was among a group of receivers who gathered after the game to discuss focusing on being better and more consistent.
As the trade deadline looms, the Chargers could upgrade the offense by trading for a receiver. Williams has appeared to have fallen out of favor with the New York Jets and could make sense for a a potential reunion with Herbert. Still, at least publicly, the Chargers are saying they have the right players on the roster to fix their offensive woes.
"Are you asking me specifically, do I like the guys? Yeah, love them," Harbaugh said. "And so back at it, shoulder to the grindstone. ... there are things to build on."