“I don’t think we’re in a position to be comfortable.” That’s what Jim Harbaugh had to say after his Bolts lost 3-16 to rookie head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, Mike Macdonald. Luis Perez and Easton Stick shared the majority of the playing time, but they struggled to make more than 13 attempts each—a few of the reasons behind Harbaugh’s embarrassment post-game.

After the game, the media caught up with the Chargers’ head coach and posed some difficult questions. They asked him to find some good in all the bad that happened today, but the younger Harbaugh brother struggled to provide a convincing answer. When a reporter asked if there were any “positives” about Justin Herbert’s backups, Harbaugh’s response was confusing.

“Yeah, there were positives. I mean they’re too few,” said Harbaugh in the post-game presser. “And that’s never, I mean, you say like the quarterback struggle. It was offensive wide.” This was Harbaugh’s assessment of Luis Perez and Max Duggan’s performances. Duggan completed 4 of his 7 passes, Perez completed 5 of his 12, and Easton Stick threw 5 for 13 with one interception. However, none of the backup quarterbacks threw any touchdowns.

Harbaugh’s infamous run game didn’t show any promise today either. The Chargers rushed for a total of 77 yards over 18 carries and had no touchdowns. The receiving side didn’t shine either, with the team managing only 133 receiving yards on 14 attempts in total—and again, no touchdowns. Should Chargers fans be worried? It’s only a preseason game, right?

Herbert’s plantar fascia injury will sideline him for at least two weeks, and it’s becoming clear that the backup QBs aren’t working out for Harbaugh. The head coach felt an urgency to “attack the improvement” after the loss, but he seemed perplexed by what had gone down.

Easton Stick, in particular, failed to deliver, and his turnover is likely to be the main talking point for fans and media leading up to the Chargers’ next game against the Rams.

Easton Stick takes responsibility for the Bolts’ breakdown

The Seahawks’ defense overwhelmed Harbaugh’s Chargers today. Already down by 7, the Chargers were forced into three consecutive three-and-outs. Easton Stick threw a ball too high for Hayden Hurst to catch—a risky attempt that nearly hospitalized him. The ball slipped through Hurst’s hands and was intercepted by Seahawks CB Coby Bryant.

Though Bryant’s interception didn’t lead directly to a touchdown, it set the Seahawks up for one. As soon as Seattle regained possession, Sam Howell wasted no time, connecting with tight end Brady Russell for a 13-yard touchdown pass. Soon after, George Holani added another touchdown.

Stick struggled with a lack of receivers, as Joshua Palmer was out due to a practice injury. He misfired three times on passes to DJ Chark Jr. and didn’t target Quentin Johnston once. The first half was very concerning, to say the least, and it’s clear that Justin Herbert’s absence is hurting the team.

“Frustrating,” said Easton Stick about his performance and added, “I think it’s always a combination of things but ultimately, just not executing at a high enough level obviously to move the football and so that starts and ends with me. So, that’s frustrating.”

Justin Herbert is expected to start in the regular season opener against the Raiders. While preseason doesn’t technically matter, it’s clear the Chargers have a lot of tape to review. Hopefully, Herbert recovers in time, because the backup QBs appear ill-equipped to handle the Raiders. For now, though, the LA Chargers have the Rams to worry about.