Jim Harbaugh has never been 0-2. The Chargers are now, with a tough stretch ahead

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Chargers are in need of a quick turnaround to salvage their season after an 0-2 start.

They scored 14 points in each of their home losses to the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders after going in as the favorite in what appeared to be winnable games.

“It’s not where we want to be,” coach Jim Harbaugh said, “but I saw it in our team, I saw the fight and saw the compete. That’s what it’s going to take.”

The Chargers are lacking consistency on offense under new coordinator Mike McDaniel, whose multitude of changes and information appear to have overloaded the offensive unit. Harbaugh admitted he should have played the starters in the preseason to give the group a chance to get comfortable with each other.

Sunday was Harbaugh's 100th NFL game and he has never been 0-2 as a player or coach.

Things get much harder from here.

They play the Bills (2-0) in Buffalo on Sunday to open a stretch of seven games against teams that made the playoffs last year, including the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle in Week 4.

“There’s no time for us to be patient with how we’re playing,” quarterback Justin Herbert said.

The rushing attack is having some success behind Omarion Hampton. He had 23 carries for 94 yards and a touchdown against the Raiders. But his fourth-quarter fumble led to a Raiders touchdown that put the game away.

There’s a glaring lack of discipline by the O-line, as evidenced by veteran tackle Joe Alt’s three false-start penalties, including two in a row, and an offensive holding call in the Chargers’ end zone that resulted in a safety by the Raiders.

Wide receiver Ladd McConkey is emerging as a reliable target for Herbert. He had five catches for 82 yards and a touchdown in Week 1. He took a hard hit to his ribs against Arizona and was limited in practice ahead of Week 2. He caught three passes for 35 yards and no TDs against Las Vegas. He and Herbert have yet to develop any big-play consistency downfield.

Herbert isn't playing like his usual self. He has three interceptions in two games, contributing to the team's minus-4 turnover ratio, and his yardage is down. He's being left unprotected, the same thing that happened last year when he was the league's second-most sacked QB. The usually placid Herbert was visibly angered when rookie center Jake Slaughter snapped the ball into a receiver's leg on a critical third-and-inches against the Raiders. Herbert stared blankly into space while McDaniel talked directly to him in the fourth quarter.

Tight end David Njoku left Sunday's game with a right knee injury. Tight end Charlie Kolar was wearing a sling on his left forearm after getting hurt. Safety Derwin James fractured his pinkie against the Raiders, but returned to play with a cast. Defensive back Elijah Molden was out with a hamstring issue. Tackle Trey Pipkins has a knee injury. Wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith remains on injured reserve.

6 — The number of fumbles the Chargers had against the Raiders, including three by Herbert.

The Chargers need to limit their self-inflicted mistakes and improve their pre-snap communication to avoid chaos.

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Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) throws under pressure from Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Jonah Laulu (96) during the second half of an NFL football game in Inglewood, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea)

Los Angeles Chargers running back Omarion Hampton (8) is tackled by Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Hezekiah Masses (35) during the first half of an NFL football game in Inglewood, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Katie Chin)

Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh answers questions after an NFL football game against the Las Vegas Raiders in Inglewood, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea)

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) fumbles as he is tackled by Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Malcolm Koonce (51) during the second half of an NFL football game in Inglewood, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea)

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A long-running legal fight over Missouri’s congressional map took another turn Monday when a federal appeals panel ruled in favor of new districts backed by President Donald Trump, even though the U.S. Supreme Court has blocked those districts from being used in the November election.

A three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Missouri should use the new Republican-drawn U.S. House districts in the November election, just as the state did in its August primary. To revert to its prior districts for the general election would violate the U.S. Constitution, the appeals judges said.

The appeals panel directed a lower court judge to issue a permanent injunction against using anything other than the map favored by Trump. But the ruling has no immediate impact. That’s because the panel also ordered the judge to delay the effect of the order for one week to allow time for an appeal.

Opponents of the new map said Monday that they will file an emergency appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court already has twice sided against the Trump-backed map and had blocked enforcement of a lower court order favoring the map pending a potential appeal and eventual decision by the high court.

Missouri currently is set to run its November election with the same congressional districts it used in 2024 and 2022, following prior decisions by both the Missouri Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Local elections officials already have sent absentee ballots to overseas citizens and military voters using those districts. State law requires absentee ballots to be available to all other voters by Tuesday. Once voters have cast a ballot, they cannot be given another one — even if the district boundaries have changed.

To try to change districts at this late date would be “practically impossible” and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, the Missouri Association of County Clerks and Election Authorities told appeals judges in a legal filing.

But an attorney representing Republicans who sued — including U.S. Rep. Bob Onder and state Sen. Rick Brattin, a congressional candidate — suggested during arguments last Thursday that there still is time to revert to the Trump-backed map.

The appeals panel agreed, pointing to other cases in which courts have ordered changes after absentee ballots already had been distributed to overseas citizens and military voters.

“The Constitution does not permit Missouri to use a different congressional district map in the November 2026 general election than it used in the August 2026 primary election,” the appeals panel wrote in its decision.

The panel consists of Judge James Loken, an appointee of former President George H.W. Bush, and two appointees of Trump — Judges David Stras and Justin Smith. Prior to his June appointment, Smith was an attorney who represented Trump as he unsuccessfully appealed a $5 million jury verdict in a lawsuit filed by the writer E. Jean Carroll to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The group People Not Politicians, which spearheaded a referendum petition to put the new map to a statewide vote on the November ballot, said it will appeal the latest decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.”

“Ballots have been printed, and Missourians have already voted. Thousands more will vote before this order seeks to take effect,” Richard von Glahn, executive director of People Not Politicians Missouri, said in a statement. “Officials should stop wasting taxpayers’ money on pointless legal action and instead focus on administering our elections.”

Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins speaks to members of the press after his contempt hearing at the Missouri Supreme Court in Jefferson City, Mo., Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (Liz Rymarev/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP, Pool)