Overview
- On Sunday the game began with two consecutive interceptions: Justin Herbert’s first snap was picked off by Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas and one play later Sam Darnold’s pass was intercepted by Chargers edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu.
- Seattle converted Los Angeles’s early giveaways into 14 points and led 20-6 at halftime after the Chargers committed three first-half turnovers, including two interceptions by Herbert.
- Reports list those early picks as Herbert’s fifth interception of the season and Darnold’s third, and Darnold quickly answered his mistake by throwing a 23-yard touchdown to Emanuel Wilson on the next Seahawks possession.
- A quarterback data analyst on X, QBgami, said the start was the first such occurrence in the NFL’s 100-plus-year history while mainstream outlets cited ESPN’s narrower frame that the league had not opened with consecutive interceptions since at least 1978.
- The sequence deepened concerns about the Chargers’ turnover problems and Herbert’s early-season ball security, and it raised immediate pressure on Los Angeles to correct mistakes if it hopes to avoid a winless start.