The Los Angeles Chargers have found a fair amount of success this season in quarterback Justin Herber’s third year under center. Nonetheless, there remains room for improvement, especially relative to the consistency that they are able to muster on offense week to week.
Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi went in-depth on his unit’s ability to find their groove and stay in it in his comments to the media on Thursday. Keeping his unit out of three-and-out drives, he said, would be crucial to their success moving forward.
“The guys play hard every week,” Lombardi said. “But, you’ve all felt that, there’s just a spirit, sometimes, that gets into a group. There’s a little bit of, I don’t know if the momentum is real, but it sure feels like it’s real sometimes. Sometimes, you just feel like things are going your way. It’s easier to be excited and to bring that energy into the huddle, into the games. I never question our guys’ overall effort, but sometimes there’s just a little bit more hop in their step.
“Sometimes, you’re getting success early, and that helps. One play builds into the next. When you get on an early run and things are going, it feels like you’ve got that energy, and when you’re going three-and-out, it feels like you don’t. I definitely know what [Head Coach] Brandon [Staley] is talking about. Hopefully, we can keep having consistent drives. I think that everyone will feel that way.”
The Chargers are ninth in total yards per game (359.8), fourth in passing yards per game (268.2) and 13th in points per game (22.7). Despite having the third-worst rushing offense, averaging only 91.6 yards per game, they showed signs of improvement with a 192-rushing yard performance against the Rams last Sunday.
With elimination games starting in earnest next week, the Chargers will need to play their best football to make a push for a chance to win a Super Bowl title in February. If they can keep their offense in rhythm and find the consistency Lombardi talked about, they should have no issues being a hard out against the best teams that the AFC has to offer.