Justin Herbert realized during offseason workouts that there would be many challenges in Jim Harbaugh’s first year as the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. However, with a young group of receivers and a new focus on running the ball, few expected Herbert’s passing numbers to drop so much.
As the Chargers (2-2) prepare for their game against Denver (3-2) on Sunday, Herbert is still searching for his first 200-yard passing game this season.
He is averaging just 144.5 yards per game, which is the second lowest in the league after New England’s Jacoby Brissett. This is a big change from previous years when he averaged 295.6 passing yards in the first four games of each season.
Despite the decline in his stats, Herbert is not worried and has faith in offensive coordinator Greg Roman’s game plan. “Panicking doesn’t help. I see it as a confidence and faith that we’re going to get things right,” he said.
“It’s a new offense, it’s a tough offense. We’re going to get it picked up. As long as we’re moving forward, that’s all we can ask for.”
Injuries have also slowed the offense’s growth. Herbert sprained his right ankle during a 26-3 victory over Carolina on September 15, which affected his mobility and the plays called in the losses to Pittsburgh and Kansas City.
He hasn’t fully participated in practice for at least three weeks, but after a bye week, he has been able to take part in some team drills recently.
The offensive line has seen a lot of changes, too. Tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt were injured against Pittsburgh and missed the game against the Chiefs, but both might return this week after practice. Roman mentioned that these injuries have impacted their game plans.
“There’s a lot of stuff we haven’t even touched yet or been able to put out on the field. Justin is double tough playing through, but does it affect what you’re going to do? Clearly it does,” he said.
As they come out of the bye week, Roman and Herbert want to improve in two main areas: executing plays on early downs and producing better results in the red zone. Currently, the Chargers are averaging only 4.5 yards per play on first down, which ranks as the fourth lowest in the league.
Los Angeles’ average distance needed for a first down on third downs is 7.5 yards, which is tied for the sixth highest in the league. The Chargers have only converted 3 out of 23 attempts on third-and-long situations (7 yards or more to go), placing them tied for second worst in this area.
One reason the Chargers have been struggling is due to penalties. Their 15 offensive penalties are tied with Philadelphia for the most among teams that have played only four games.
The offense is also looking to score more touchdowns when they get into the red zone. After scoring touchdowns in the first quarter of the past two games, they were limited to field goals for the rest of those games.
However, neither Herbert nor Roman is worried about how plays are distributed. The Chargers have run the ball on 53% of their plays, which is the second highest rate in the league.
This number is somewhat affected by their Week 2 win against Carolina, where they ran the ball on 44 out of 65 plays. This was the first time since 2013 that they had run two-thirds of their offensive plays.
In the last two games, the team has leaned more towards passing, with 55% of plays being passes. Quentin Johnston and rookie Ladd McConkey have stepped up as reliable targets for Herbert, even with a lack of depth at receiver.
“We know how complex the offense is, but one of the great things about it is it is able to scheme up and put our team in a position to win,” Herbert said.
Roman does see some games where they might focus more on passing. His main goal, though, is to create an offense that can perform well consistently over time.
“Every week is going to be different. I love it when Justin goes back there and is able to throw the football. We all do. It’s a thing of beauty, but we’re trying to build something here that can win in a lot of different conditions under different circumstances,” Roman said.
“I think we want to have that balance, but there are definitely going to be some days where we’re able to adjust. I haven’t even scratched the surface right now.”
