# Harbaugh regrets preseason plan after Chargers' messy opener

> The Chargers looked unprepared in their season-opening loss, and their head coach admits he made a mistake.
- Title: Harbaugh regrets preseason plan after Chargers' messy opener
- Summary: The Chargers looked unprepared in their season-opening loss, and their head coach admits he made a mistake. Limited preseason reps left the Chargers…
- Keywords: jim harbaugh, los angeles chargers, arizona cardinals, mike mcdaniel, justin herbert, omarion hampton, preseason, season opener, offensive coordination, nfl, las vegas raiders, sports
- Source: Los Angeles Chargers On SI — https://si.com/nfl/chargers/onsi/chargers-jim-harbaugh-mistake-expresses-regret-searching-answers
- Published: 2026-09-15T20:31:32+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: jim harbaugh, los angeles chargers, arizona cardinals, mike mcdaniel, justin herbert, omarion hampton, preseason, season opener, offensive coordination, nfl, las vegas raiders, sports
## Chargers lose opener badly
The Chargers dropped their season opener to Arizona and potentially lost their best offensive weapon. Worse than the loss was how unprepared they looked.
## High hopes for new offense
The opener was supposed to showcase Mike McDaniel's revamped offense with Justin Herbert slinging passes and Omarion Hampton breaking out in year two.
## Plan fell apart quickly
The offense showed early promise by answering Arizona's opening touchdown. Then Hampton fumbled after hitting his own blocker and everything unraveled.

> Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.
## Defense stayed on field forever
Arizona dominated time of possession 37.5 minutes to 22.5. The Chargers defense couldn't get off the field.
## Special teams disaster
The loss featured miscues, procedural penalties, and awful special teams. A blocked punt near their own goalpost and league-worst kick returns highlighted the mess.
## Starters barely played preseason
The starting offense had only a handful of preseason snaps together. Cole Strange led with just 13 total snaps, most others had fewer than seven.
## Harbaugh admits his mistake
Harbaugh expressed regret about his preseason approach. He said he now wishes he'd played the starters more to get them ready.

> Now, in retrospect, wish we played our guys a little more in the preseason and give them those reps.
## McDaniel's offense needs time
McDaniel's system is very complex with lots of moving parts. It requires significant time on task to master.
## Penalties showed lack of mastery
Procedural penalties were the clearest sign the offense hasn't been mastered. They came when players got tired in their first real game action.
## The infamous Herbert sack
Two free rushers hit Herbert instantly on one play. Former NFL players Jason Kelce and Geoff Schwartz explained it wasn't the offensive line's fault.
## Line did its job correctly
Schwartz broke down the protection scheme and showed the line blocked correctly. Herbert was supposed to hit the hot receiver instantly to avoid pressure.
## Hot receiver ran wrong route
Tre Harris broke in toward the linebacker instead of breaking out. Herbert had nowhere to throw and held the ball rather than risk a bad throw.
## Must fix it immediately
The Chargers face the Raiders next and can't afford to fall 0-2. They're entering a historically challenging stretch of games.
## Key takeaway

Limited preseason reps left the Chargers unprepared for Mike McDaniel's complex offense, leading to penalties and miscommunication in their opening loss.