Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter admitted he hasn’t gotten much sleep this week while trying to come up with a plan to stop Cincinnati’s dangerous duo of Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase.
Similarly, Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo probably feels the same way about figuring out how to stop the Chargers’ Justin Herbert this Sunday night.
This will be the second meeting between Herbert and Burrow, who were both first-round picks in the 2020 draft. The game was moved to prime time, replacing the scheduled matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and New York Jets.
“I think Justin’s great. He has one of the strongest arms in the league. He plays football the right way,” Burrow said. “He’s a big, strong guy who can make plays with his legs and a tough guy that can stand in there and take hits.”
Burrow, who was the first pick of the 2020 draft after leading LSU to a national championship and winning the Heisman Trophy, said he got to know Herbert at the scouting combine. Herbert, the sixth overall pick and third quarterback selected, also respects Burrow’s game.
“He does such a great job playing in timing and rhythm and then being able to make off-schedule plays where it is very tough on a defense,” Herbert said. “The defense thinks they won a play and he scrambles out and makes a play downfield.”
Herbert has not thrown an interception in his last six games and is averaging 262.2 passing yards in the Chargers’ five games since their bye week. Los Angeles (6-3) is currently on a three-game winning streak and has won four of their last five games since the bye.
Under coach Jim Harbaugh, the Chargers’ offense has become more balanced, and Herbert has seen more success on passes of 20 yards or more. He has completed 14 of 29 deep passes for 478 yards and five touchdowns, with a 134.0 passer rating on those throws, the best in the league.
Quentin Johnston, a first-round pick last year, is one of six AFC wide receivers with at least five touchdowns.
“Justin Herbert surely is one of the five or six best quarterbacks in football,” NBC Sports analyst Chris Simms said. “The way they play is not necessarily sexy or conducive to huge quarterback numbers, but when they do drop back to pass, man, they’re usually looking for a big play. And of course, he’s dangerous that way.”
Simms added that Burrow would be an MVP candidate if the Bengals had a better record. Cincinnati is 4-6, and five of their losses have been by six points or fewer.
Burrow leads the NFL in passing yards (2,672) and completions (246), and is tied with Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson and Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield for the most touchdown passes, with 24.
Chase leads all wide receivers in receptions (66), receiving yards (981), and touchdowns (10).
“That tandem, I don’t know if there is anyone playing better,” Minter said. “Burrow has a good understanding of how you are trying to play them and sees the coverages well. Not a whole lot of trick-’ems going on with Joe. We are excited for the challenge and opportunity.”
The Chargers have won three straight games against the Bengals, including a 41-22 victory in Cincinnati in 2021.
