No team in the NFL looks worse right now than the Los Angeles Chargers. They're still winless through three weeks, with two of those losses coming by double digits against the Cardinals and Raiders, two teams that combined for just six wins last season. But Sunday's loss to the Bills might have been the worst of the bunch.
Despite forcing five turnovers, which alone should have been enough to win the game, the Chargers still fell 24-16, undone by an offense that continues to sputter. Los Angeles led 13-10 in the fourth quarter, but Justin Herbert couldn't finish drives, settling for field goals while Buffalo clawed back into the game late. Josh Allen, shaky for most of the afternoon, led two fourth-quarter scoring drives to seal it, while Herbert again looked inefficient and indecisive, far from the franchise quarterback he's being paid to be.
After the game, Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh addressed Herbert's performance directly, calling on his quarterback to improve his decision-making. Be better," Harbaugh said of Herbert. "And that drives Justin, that drives me, that drives his position coach, that drives Mike [McDaniel], the coordinator.
I mean, drives us all." More news: Giants Land Former First-Round QB JJ McCarthy in Blockbuster Trade More news: Deshaun Watson Admits Browns Fans’ Behavior Toward Him Made Him Tear Up Herbert was the sixth overall pick in the 2020 draft out of Oregon, and it didn't take long for him to establish himself as one of the league's premier quarterbacks. He won Offensive Rookie of the Year, then exploded out in Year 2, throwing for 5,014 yards (second-most in the NFL) and 38 touchdowns against 15 interceptions, completing 65.9% of his passes to go with 302 rushing yards. However, he's never quite recaptured that peak or made it past the first round of the playoffs, let alone a Super Bowl.
He picked up his second Pro Bowl nod last season, passing for 3,727 yards and 26 touchdowns with 13 interceptions, plus a career-high 498 rushing yards, but the Chargers went 11-6 and were knocked out in the Wild Card round again. This season has been even rockier. Through three games, he's thrown for 627 yards and three touchdowns with four interceptions, posting a career-low 59.1% completion rate, and Los Angeles still doesn't have a win.
If Herbert doesn't turn things around soon, it's fair to start asking if he ever will. Unfortunately, the Chargers' upcoming schedule is brutal. Next up, they travel to Seattle to face the Seahawks before matchups against the Broncos, Chiefs, Rams, Texans, and Ravens.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
