Chargers Match 100-Year-Old NFL Record With Historic 0-2 Start

The Los Angeles Chargers have opened the 2026 NFL season with a historically poor 0-2 record, suffering back-to-back double-digit home losses to teams that finished with sub-.200 win percentages the previous year. The team's 26-14 defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, September 20, followed an identical loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1, marking a deeply disappointing start under head coach Jim Harbaugh. According to OptaSTATS, the Chargers are only the second team in NFL history to lose consecutive games by double digits at home against opponents with a sub-.200 winning percentage from the prior season. The only other instance was by the 1926 Racine Tornadoes, who played one more game before folding. Both the Raiders and Cardinals finished 3-14 in 2025, and the Chargers were favored in both matchups. The offensive struggles have been a central issue. In the loss to Las Vegas, quarterback Justin Herbert completed 15 of 27 passes for 192 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions, and was sacked three times. The performance has drawn sharp criticism from former players.