Chargers' defense struggles in first outing under new coordinator Chris O'Leary

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Mike McDaniel wasn’t the only Los Angeles Chargers coordinator to have a bad debut on Sunday .

Chris O’Leary’s defense got off to a rough start in a 26-14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals , struggling in nearly every area.

A drop-off was expected after Jesse Minter left to become coach of the Baltimore Ravens , but O’Leary’s hiring was supposed to minimize it. He had familiarity with the Chargers, having coached safeties in 2024 before spending one season at Western Michigan as defensive coordinator. O’Leary would keep the system in place, putting his own stamp on a 4-2-5 defense using three safeties, to allow an experienced roster to keep playing fast and aggressive.

Instead, they were consistently on their heels against first-time head coach Mike LaFleur, who also called offensive plays.

The Chargers couldn’t get their opposition off schedule, allowing five straight drives that ended in a touchdown or field goal attempt before finally forcing a punt late in the third quarter.

An accomplished pass rush rarely laid a hand on journeyman quarterback Jacoby Brissett, with linebackers Daiyan Henley and Troy Dye combining for the only sack on a rare blitz. That inability to control the line of scrimmage extended to the run defense, managing one tackle for loss on 34 carries. Failing to generate a takeaway completed the trilogy of passiveness.

Those issues had a carryover effect on the offense, forcing McDaniel to get away from his trademark ground game while playing from behind.

Coach Jim Harbaugh likely approached the season thinking McDaniel's potent offense would help offset the loss of one of the best defensive minds in football, giving O'Leary time to learn on the job. Instead, neither coordinator could help out the other in the opener.

The defense buckled down in the red zone, forcing Arizona to settle for three field goals in five visits to keep the game from getting completely out of hand.

Where to begin? Among the many glaring issues coming out of the opener, the offense’s inability to sustain drives was particularly galling. The Chargers were 2 of 8 on third down and 0 for 3 on fourth down. Their only successful conversion in the second half was Justin Herbert’s touchdown pass to get within 16-14 midway through the third quarter.

After taking a step back last season, WR Ladd McConkey got off to a good start with five receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown. He could have been even more productive had a chest injury not forced him out of the game in the third quarter.

WR Quentin Johnston caught just two of his seven targets for 17 yards, starting his fourth season in Los Angeles. It has been an often frustrating tenure since he was drafted in the first round in 2023.

McConkey underwent further testing on his ribs and is day to day. ... CB Elijah Molden hurt his hamstring. ... WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith is likely to miss several weeks because of a pulled hamstring.

68.6% — Herbert dropped back to pass or ran the ball on 35 of the Chargers’ 51 offense snaps, with McDaniel’s first game looking a little too much like previous campaigns where the star quarterback was asked to do everything.

The Chargers host the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. With back-to-back road games at Buffalo and Seattle on deck as part of a tough seven-game stretch, failure to win against their AFC West rivals could quickly leave Los Angeles’ playoff hopes in dire straits.

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