Chargers’ Jim Harbaugh to Justin Herbert: “Be better” after 0-3 start

Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh made his expectations of Justin Herbert clear after the 24-16 loss to the Bills dropped the team to 0-3. Harbaugh demanded improvement in the quarterback’s decision-making and stressed the need for greater accountability at the position: “Be better. Be better,” he said.

As the NFL’s official site reports, Herbert finished the game throwing for 226 yards on 20-of-34 passing, with one touchdown pass and one interception. He struggled in particular on deep throws (20+ air yards), going 1-for-7 for 29 yards with an interception. Per the data, Herbert has thrown more interceptions on deep passes this season (3) than in either of the previous two seasons (2 in 2024 and 2 in 2025), and he has now gone four straight starts with an interception while failing to throw more than one touchdown — tying him with Cooper Rush and Daniel Jones for the longest active streak in the NFL and the longest such streak of Herbert’s career.

The Chargers failed to capitalize on five forced turnovers created by the defense, while the offense could not convert its chances — just 1-for-4 in the red zone. The offensive line took repeated hits, and the receiving corps struggled with dropped balls, compounding Herbert’s problems.

Harbaugh said the team must review its schemes and performance: “We want to be better. We have to be better. We have to look at our scheme, how we’re doing the job and who’s doing it,” he added. According to the NFL’s official site, Harbaugh’s demand for improvement is significant given how often he has defended the quarterback since taking over the team — but now he expects Herbert to answer with results and consistency to lift the team out of this difficult stretch.