Roll with what’s working.
Among the very few things that’s working for the Chargers up to this point is rookie quarterback Justin Herbert’s play.
However, Monday night’s loss to the Saints was one of the instances where Los Angeles swayed away from it, which ultimately had a factor in the outcome of the game.
Heading into the locker room, L.A. had a 10-point lead over New Orleans. Despite being under constant duress, Herbert was dealing, completing nine of his 13 passes for 109 yards and three touchdowns.
Upon returning to the field, the offensive coaching staff started to play like the Bolts had a lead much larger than they did by resorting to the running game on early downs, putting themselves in a handful of second & third-and-long situations.
The Chargers ran the ball on nine of their 14 first-down plays in the second half and overtime. The result? In the second half and overtime, they averaged 1.38 yards per carry.
“We tried to establish the running game to help him out,” coach Anthony Lynn said.
The decision to abandon the passing game was solely to keep Herbert clean because he was pressured 20 times on his 38 drop backs. But the conservative play-calling allowed the Saints to quickly get the ball back, where they eventually overcame a 17-point deficit.
The bottom line is that the coaching staff needs to take training wheels off of Herbert and let him loose. Sure, allowing him to throw often behind a below average offensive line is worrisome, but that’s when more efficient play-calling comes in to mask the deficiencies.
Utilize more quick and screen passes, run-pass options and play-action with moving pockets, and watch the young quarterback flourish. His confidence is oozing and fans are excited for what he will continue to deliver on the field. The only way to do that? Let Herbo cook.