Chargers fall to 0-7 with 24-9 loss to Rams
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The gist
The Los Angeles Chargers lost 24-9 to the Rams at SoFi Stadium, dropping to 0-7.
The winless start has NFL.com projecting them the No. 1 pick in 2027.
Background
The Chargers are the NFL team that opened the 2026 season 0-2 after a Week 2 loss to the Raiders and reached 0-7 after the Week 8 loss to their crosstown rival Rams. Head coach Jim Harbaugh took the blame after a failed fourth-down call in Week 5 and vowed to 'look at everything' offensively after a season-low 6 points in Kansas City. Quarterback Justin Herbert has turned the ball over in each of the first seven games and led the league with 10 interceptions, and the team placed safety Derwin James Jr. on Reserve/Injured (a list for players who must sit out games) before the Rams game.
How it unfolded
- Oct 11, 2026The Chargers fell to 0-5; head coach Jim Harbaugh took the blame after a failed fourth-down call in Week 5.
- Oct 19, 2026The Chargers fell to 0-6 after scoring a season-low 6 points in a loss in Kansas City; Harbaugh vowed to 'look at everything' offensively.
- Oct 31, 2026The Chargers placed safety Derwin James Jr. on Reserve/Injured, signed cornerback Isas Waxter to the active roster and elevated cornerback Kaiir Elam from the practice squad.
- Nov 1, 2026The Chargers lost 24-9 to the Rams at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, dropping to 0-7; they led with less than two minutes left in the first half but trailed 10-9 at halftime.
- Nov 2, 2026The Chargers received a 'D' grade for the loss to the Rams.
- Nov 3, 2026NFL.com's updated 2027 draft order had the winless Chargers in sole possession of the No. 1 pick.
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- SB Nation's Michael Peterson wrote that 'the Chargers offense is broken,' that the team 'somehow actually looked worse' after its Week 7 bye, and that Justin Herbert 'looks like a shell of his former self.'
- Analysts
- Peterson raised the possibility that Herbert is 'just not a fit' for Mike McDaniel's system, in which case the Chargers 'might want to think about moving on from McDaniel.'
Still unverified
SB Nation raised the possibility that Justin Herbert is 'just not a fit' for Mike McDaniel's system and that the Chargers 'might want to think about moving on from McDaniel.'