Because the Los Angeles Chargers put together for his or her season-opening recreation in opposition to the Kansas City Chiefs in Brazil on Friday, plenty of the eye will likely be on quarterback Justin Herbert.
Whereas the Chargers have misplaced six of their final seven to the Chiefs by one rating, Herbert has not been good in opposition to Kansas Metropolis with solely two wins in 9 begins.
To make issues worse, Herbert has solely led the Chargers to 2 playoff appearances in his 5 seasons, each of which ended within the wild-card spherical.
Former participant doesn’t maintain again on Justin Herbert
Present ESPN analyst and former NFL security Ryan Clark was on Thursday’s version of “First Take” and made his ideas on Herbert’s efficiency to this point very clear.
“Justin Herbert, each time it issues, has been horrible,” Clark stated. “Justin Herbert did not win huge video games in school as gifted as he was. Justin Herbert in two video games within the playoffs within the league, you lose a 27-0 lead (to the Jacksonville Jaguars), you throw 4 interceptions in opposition to the Texans.”
Whereas Clark famous how gifted Herbert is, he didn’t maintain again when discussing his efficiency in significant video games. Herbert has handed for at the least 20 TDs every season he has been within the league and mixed for under 10 interceptions the final two campaigns. His completion proportion has been 65.1% or higher every season, whereas his QBR (61.7) was eleventh within the league one yr in the past.
In head coach Jim Harbaugh’s first season with the group in 2024, Herbert led the Chargers to 3 straight wins to finish the season earlier than a wild-card loss to the Houston Texans capped their 11-win season. His 4 interceptions in that recreation have been one other signal of a few of the struggles he has had in larger video games, however he had solely accounted for 3 complete interceptions all season till then.
The Chargers have set Justin Herbert as much as succeed
What ought to assist him is the expertise surrounding him on the perimeter. Together with his prime two wideouts Ladd McConkey (1,149 yards, seven TDs) and Quentin Johnston (711 yards, eight TDs) again and the return of former Charger Keenan Allen after a one-year stint with the Chicago Bears, Herbert has loads of choices round him.
Omarion Hampton is new to the backfield after changing into the fourth first-round working again chosen by the Chargers this century, becoming a member of Melvin Gordon III (2015), Ryan Mathews (2010) and LaDainian Tomlinson (2001), per Stats Carry out.
Because the division-rival Chiefs await, Herbert realizes the challenge they present as soon as once more. “We have now to be at our greatest,” the Chargers signal-caller said.
There isn’t a doubt that Herbert has proved he can lead the Chargers to the postseason. Whether or not he can take the subsequent step with the expertise round him and rise to the event when the strain will increase is one other query. That will likely be put to the take a look at instantly on Friday night time.
