The Cowboys squared off last week against the oldest quarterback in the league. In Week 2, they’ll do battle with a passer at the other end of the spectrum.
The Chargers’ Justin Herbert was the youngest signal-caller in the NFL last season; he didn’t turn 23 until March of this year. And while 2021 newbies like Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, Trey Lance, and Zach Wilson now have Herbert beat in the youth department, his 15 NFL starts last season have the defending Rookie of the Year playing like a seasoned pro.
The rocket-armed Oregon product will pose a whole different kind of threat to the Cowboys than Tom Brady did on opening night, but Dallas defensive coordinator Dan Quinn thinks his unit may be better prepared to contain Herbert than most, based on who his players see in practice every day.
“Outside the pocket,” Quinn told reporters this week, “this is a player that can really create on the move, much like Dak does where he gets outside, and now he can rip the ball down the field.”
And when Herbert goes off-script, just as when Prescott does it, things can get especially tricky for a defense.
“When you have a player who can do that, it’s almost like defending two plays,” Quinn explained. “Here’s the first play: the quarterback’s in the pocket on a passing play. The second play? Outside the pocket. And that’s when plays get extended four, five, six, seven seconds. He’s got the arm strength to deliver it all the way here, to all the way back over to the other side.”
When Herbert gets flushed, he’s still looking to throw. He was credited with 55 rushing attempts last year and racked up 234 yards (a 4.3-yard-per carry average), but still ended 2020 as the NFL’s fourth-best quarterback in passing yards per game, with 289.1 (trailing only Mahomes, Watson, and Brady).
Last week on the road against a highly-touted Washington defense, Herbert went 31-for-47 and 337 yards through the air, tossing one touchdown and one interception. Of the Chargers’ total offensive plays; just 37% were runs. Herbert guided an attack that threw the ball on 20 of their 27 first down plays. Those numbers will feel familiar to a Cowboys defense that saw a similar approach from Brady and the Bucs.
It’s also not far off from the way Prescott operates, either on Sundays or in practice. So practicing against Prescott may well give the defense a good taste of what to expect from Herbert.
“I’d say the number one that jumps out to me is the aggressiveness in the way they play. They’re very decisive,” Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said in comparing the two passers Wednesday. “They can play both in the pocket and out of the pocket, extend plays, make throws, and, frankly, they both play with a lot of confidence.”
If heat and humidity were a factor in Tampa, with several Cowboys defenders looking gassed by the fourth quarter, they’ll get no chance to ease up when they face Herbert in Los Angeles. And they’ll undoubtedly have to respect his legs while still guarding against his howitzer arm.
“Does the passer look to run, or does he remain a passer?” Quinn asked rhetorically. “This is one that remains a passer. He certainly has the speed that he can run it, but the big plays that happen with guys like a Dak or a Russell Wilson, they get outside the pocket and can rip. And he has that kind of arm strength and the kind of athleticism to do that. So we’ve got to defend plays longer when you’re defending a quarterback like that.”
Like defending two plays, Quinn said. The Chargers’ offense took 78 snaps in Week 1. That means the Cowboys defense needs to gear up for the equivalent of 156 plays.
From a quarterback who reminds the coaches of their own next-level superstar.
This California trip will be no day at the beach.
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