Jim Harbaugh blames himself for the fourth-and-1 gamble that sent the Chargers to 0-5

Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh took full responsibility for the fourth-down call that swung Sunday’s 23-17 loss to the Denver Broncos, a defeat that dropped his team to 0-5, a start the franchise had not endured since 2003.

With the Chargers ahead 17-10 and 10:33 left, Harbaugh kept his offense on the field on fourth-and-1 from the Los Angeles 41. Justin Herbert tried a quarterback sneak behind a line built around rookies, and Denver’s front stopped him short. Five plays later, Bo Nix found Courtland Sutton for a 5-yard touchdown that tied the game with 8:53 to go, and the Chargers never scored again.

“I can’t think of a time where I’ve been more mad at myself,” Harbaugh said after the game, adding that he took “100 percent accountability” for the call. He said that once he saw the Broncos’ defensive line crowd the gaps, he should have used a timeout and sent out the punt team.

Jim Harbaugh takes the blame on the 4th-and-1 call: “That was the wrong decision. I can’t think of a time where I’ve been more mad at myself. This team works so hard, played so valiantly. And yeah I take 100% accountability for making that decision and turned the momentum of the…

— Anthony Gharib (@GharibSports) October 12, 2026

How the lead slipped away

The decision was not indefensible on paper. Win-probability models slightly favoured going for it over punting, and Herbert stood up for his coach afterward. But the stop handed Denver a short field and the momentum. After the tying touchdown, the Chargers’ next possessions produced a lost fumble, a field goal for the Broncos, and then a second failed fourth down, a fourth-and-6 from their own 31 while trailing 20-17 that ended with Herbert intercepted by Brandon Jones. Wil Lutz kicked field goals of 19 and 36 yards to close it out.

The collapse wasted a strong third quarter. Los Angeles trailed 10-3 at halftime before Herbert hit Hayden Rucci for a 7-yard score and Kimani Vidal broke a 42-yard touchdown run to put the Chargers in front. Denver managed only 224 yards and converted one of 12 third downs, yet still won.

Herbert finished 14 of 24 for 121 yards, one touchdown and one interception, was sacked five times for 39 yards, and ran six times for 54 yards. The Chargers turned the ball over three times and went 0 for 2 on fourth down.

A depleted line and a lost start

Injuries have stripped the offensive line. Four rookies played up front on Sunday, three of them in their first NFL starts, Travis Burke started on the left edge with Logan Taylor next to him, while Alex Harkey made his NFL debut on the right side. Three veterans who would normally be in the lineup, Trevor Penning, Rashawn Slater and Trey Pipkins III, sit on injured reserve.

The slide is a sharp turn for a club that won 11 games in each of Harbaugh’s first two seasons in Los Angeles. Captains Tuli Tuipulotu and Khalil Mack urged teammates to keep fighting through the losing run.

What comes next

The Chargers visit the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, October 18, at 4:25 p.m. EDT, with a sixth straight defeat to avoid before they get a week off in Week 7. The Broncos, now 3-2, host the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday, October 15. Full numbers are in the Game Center, and our game recap has the rest of Sunday’s story.