After an 0-2 start, Justin Herbert needs to be better. The Chargers’ offense has struggled through two games, and Herbert’s three interceptions and inconsistent play have played a major role. With a difficult stretch ahead, the franchise quarterback needs to turn things around quickly.
There is plenty of blame to go around after the Los Angeles Chargers’ 0-2 start, but at some point, Justin Herbert has to be better.
The Chargers have struggled offensively in both games this season and have now lost to the Cardinals and Raiders by the exact same score, 26-14. After all the excitement surrounding Mike McDaniel taking over the offense, the unit has looked anything but explosive through the first two weeks.
Herbert deserves some criticism for that.
Against the Raiders, Herbert completed 15 of 27 passes for 192 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He was also sacked three times and finished with a 59.5 passer rating. Those numbers simply aren’t good enough for a quarterback who is supposed to be the centerpiece of this team.
The two interceptions were obviously a problem (although one wasn’t his fault), but the bigger issue was how little consistency the offense showed. The Chargers had opportunities to take control of the game, including after Herbert connected with Oronde Gadsden for a touchdown to give them a 14-10 lead in the third quarter. Instead, the offense failed to build on that momentum and the Raiders eventually took control.
This isn’t all on Herbert. The Chargers had six total fumbles, injuries have already started piling up and there were plenty of mistakes throughout the offense. David Njoku left the game with a knee injury and the offensive line had its own issues.
But Herbert is the player who has to make things easier when everything around him isn’t perfect.
Through two games, he has thrown for 401 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. He has also been sacked six times. The Chargers haven’t been able to consistently sustain drives and have scored just 28 points in two games.
That’s not the start anyone expected from Herbert or this offense.
The frustrating part is that the Chargers were supposed to have a relatively favorable opening to the season. Instead, they are already 0-2 and now face a much more difficult stretch of the schedule. Buffalo is next, followed by Seattle and Kansas City, with Denver and the Rams also coming up.
There is still plenty of football left to play, but the margin for error is getting smaller.
Herbert has earned the expectations that come with being the Chargers’ franchise quarterback. When the team needs him to make a play, he needs to be the guy who makes it.
The Chargers need better play from everyone, but it starts with their quarterback. Herbert doesn’t need to be perfect. He just needs to be better, because if he doesn’t turn things around quickly, the Chargers could find themselves in a hole that becomes very difficult to escape.
