If you were to log in to Twitter and read about the Chargers after Sunday’s 31-17 loss to the Chiefs, your impression would likely be that the sky is falling.
That sentiment seems the same on Facebook, YouTube, or anywhere else you can consume Chargers content.
The one place it is not the same, according to quarterback Justin Herbert, is in the locker room. When asked postgame if LA’s two-game losing streak had been more challenging for Herbert than in previous circumstances, the signal caller answered:
Football’s tough. Whether you’re winning or whether you’re losing, it’s a tough sport and it requires tough people. And we got a tough locker room in there. It hasn’t gone our way the past couple of games, but no one’s going to panic, no one’s going to quit, no one’s going to give up.
Asked about Brandon Staley’s “reset” comments, Herbert elaborated:
I think it means we’ve got a new challenge, a new week of football. You can’t let your last one affect your next one and so we’re gonna watch the film, we’re gonna move on, and we’re gonna learn from it.
Kansas City’s second-half adjustments on defense stifled the Chargers offense, which Herbert acknowledged:
They played some good defense. They had some good things covered up and we did our best to move the ball and unfortunately we didn’t execute as well as we could’ve. There are some plays we’d love to have back, some throws and protections and things like that. I thought our coach put us in a position to play good football today and it’s on me and on our offense to be able to score points.
Herbert talked about playing complementary football and acknowledged that the Chargers have yet to put together a complete performance in which the offense, defense, and special teams all play well for four quarters. He again said it was on the offense to be able to capitalize on the turnovers the defense forced, with a theme of execution in subsequent answers about what went wrong with his unit.
Herbert also clarified that he was sometimes handing the ball off with his right hand because the splint on his fractured left finger ripped off during the game. He later said that while the finger was not affecting his ability to handle the ball, it was something he was consciously protecting on Sunday.
Herbert did not sound like the captain of a surrendered army in his comments to the media, and it’s clear that the roster still believes in their ability to turn the season around. However, it’s also clear that they’re aware of the things holding them back – namely, execution in critical moments and missed opportunities.
This team is not at rock bottom – they’re a few bad bounces away from being 5-1, after all – but they must recognize that they’re trending in that direction before the oxygen runs out. On Sunday, Herbert made it sound like the Chargers knew, but they were still figuring out which way was up before heading for the surface. Time will tell whether their sense of direction is keen enough to take another breath.