Chargers talked Super Bowl all offseason. Then their parachute didnt open.

The Los Angeles Chargers spent an entire offseason talking like a team ready to play in February.On Sunday, they barely looked ready for September.All the Super Bowl expectations, the arrival of offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, the belief that Justin Herbert was ready to climb another rung toward the NFL’s quarterback penthouse. It came crashing down on Sunday at SoFi Stadium against the Arizona Cardinals.  The biggest news, opinion and culture shaping California right now.Please provide a valid email.

By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Never miss a story Maybe Jim Harbaugh foreshadowed it himself.“You do everything you can to prepare, but you just don’t know,” the Chargers coach said before the season.

“We’re jumping out of a plane and let’s hope the parachute opens.”On Sunday, the parachute never opened.And the Chargers came crashing back to earth.The Chargers were 9½-point favorites against an Arizona team that went 3-14 last season and arrived in Los Angeles carrying a nine-game losing streak.More than 30% of entries in survivor pools reportedly picked the Chargers, essentially treating them as one of Sunday’s safest bets.Instead the Chargers laid an egg, losing 26-14 in a game that wasn’t particularly close in the second half.

Frankly, the Chargers were outplayed by Arizona in all three phases. Arizona came to SoFi with a new head coach, new coordinators, new personnel and plenty of reasons to preach patience and growth.Instead, the Cardinals looked like the better prepared, more physical, and more experienced team.

Mike LaFleur became the first Cardinals head coach since Don Coryell in 1973 to win his debut with the franchise. The Chargers, meanwhile, looked like the team undergoing a rebuild. That’s the scary part for Bolts fans because after back-to-back 11-6 seasons and consecutive playoff appearances under Harbaugh, the expectations f...