Not a ton of things are going right for the Chargers in 2026.
The Chargers sit at 0-6 and have one of the league's worst offenses. Mike McDaniel's addition has been a disaster so far.
The offense was an area where many expected the Chargers to be drastically better this season. Instead, the defense entered the year as the biggest concern, and through the first two weeks, things weren't going their way.
However, since their Week 3 contest against the Bills, coordinator Chris O'Leary and his defense have found their stride.
Jim Harbaugh said that he was impressed with that side of the ball as they approach their bye week.
"He's doing a great job. The defense is doing a great job. We're going to ask them to do more," Harbaugh said this week.
The Chargers' defense has helped up their end of the bargain. Los Angeles has played well and created plenty of turnovers, more than the Chargers offense could have hoped for.
O'Leary's defense is tied for 3rd in the NFL with 10 takeaways and ranks 11th in EPA per play allowed and 6th in success rate allowed.
The Chargers' defensive success comes as a bit of a shock, since this is the first time O'Leary is calling the plays on defense in the NFL. However, he's lived up to the billing thus far.
"A lot of it is figuring out what our guys are good at," O'Leary said last week about his overall comfort level. "It's like, 'Hey, you make this call and you think it's going to play out one way, and it plays out a different way. Or you call this and you're not sure and then all of a sudden they execute it.'
"It's like that mesh of being tied in with what I'm thinking and envisioning, and how the players are executing it. That's been the biggest thing," O'Leary continued. "It's not a complete picture yet, we're not perfect, but that's kind of where we're going.
"What I feel a little better about is how I'm meshing with the players and what we're calling," O'Leary added.
While the defense has done its job, the offense has done more harm than good. If the Chargers' offense can get going, with the defense continuing its stellar play, maybe, just maybe, Los Angeles can salvage its season.
This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: Chargers' Chris O'Leary emerging as bright spot amid 0-6 start