Los Angeles Chargers may have to take a real look in the mirror to fix one of their biggest problems that showed against the Commanders
The Los Angeles Chargers lost the Washington Commanders at home and have no one to blame but themselves.
The Los Angeles Chargers know they can’t keep beating themselves – not with so many key players already sidelined. In Sunday’s 27–10 loss to Washington, the team was flagged ten times for 85 yards, continuing a trend that’s quickly becoming their biggest obstacle to winning.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh didn’t mince words after the game. “We need to get better. We’re a good football team. We’re not good enough in some of the areas that you need to win games,” he said. Those areas start with discipline. For the second straight week, the Chargers were hit with double-digit penalties, stalling drives, and erasing big plays that could have swung momentum.
The mistakes came early and often. The first penalty came on the opening kickoff, setting the tone for a sloppy afternoon. A roughing-the-kicker call wiped out a 57-yard punt return touchdown. Multiple offensive penalties killed promising drives deep in Washington territory. One mistake came when tight end Tyler Conklin was late getting on the field for a crucial fourth-and-two. Later, right guard Trey Pipkins committed penalties on consecutive plays, negating completions of more than 20 yards each. Even when the Chargers did execute well, mental lapses took away the results.
Safety Derwin James summed up the frustration that echoed throughout the locker room. “We didn’t play clean football … Special teams, defense, giving up penalties, offense, false starts. It just all around wasn’t a clean game.” It was the same story the week before, when the Chargers committed 14 penalties in a close loss to the Giants – the first time since 2014 they’ve recorded at least ten in back-to-back games.
The consequences showed up on the scoreboard. After taking an early 10–0 lead, the Chargers were shut out over the final three quarters while Washington scored 27 unanswered points. As veteran receiver Keenan Allen said, “We can’t beat ourselves … When you beat yourself, it’s just like, the worst place. Lack of discipline, penalties, technique, whatever the case may be, it just can’t happen.”
These mistakes are even more costly for a team already battling a long list of injuries. With starters missing across both sides of the ball, the Chargers’ margin for error is razor-thin. Every penalty becomes a momentum killer, a missed scoring chance, or a drive that leaves the defense on the field too long. This team doesn’t have the depth right now to overcome that.
Harbaugh acknowledged this and promised more accountability going forward. “They’re correctable. There’s been emphasis put on it. We just need to emphasize it more, practice it more, work on it more and get it to where it’s we’re at our best. We’ve got to tighten up the operation in every way.”
Until they do, no amount of talent or effort will be enough to overcome the combination of injuries and self-inflicted wounds. The Chargers may still believe they’re a good football team – but until they start playing cleaner, they’ll keep finding ways to lose.
