The AFC West were given slightly extra fascinating a few weeks in the past when the Los Angeles Chargers added Jim Harbaugh to the fold, changing Brandon Staley as head trainer. That’s now not simply from a character viewpoint: The Chargers are anticipated to appear a lot other at the box, particularly on offense, which is Harbaugh’s distinctiveness. So, all of the excuses are thrown out the window for Justin Herbert.
This isn’t an indictment of Herbert or what he has or hasn’t achieved in his NFL occupation. It’s merely an issue of stating the reality. Herbert’s been actually just right (even nice, from time to time) all the way through his first 4 years within the league. His 2023 marketing campaign was once shortened by way of accidents as he performed the fewest video games (13) of his occupation. A few of his numbers even slipped to occupation lows in passing yards, touchdowns and finishing touch proportion, amongst others.
Then again, we’ll give him a mulligan as just about each and every quarterback has a minimum of 365 days that’s simply unhealthy, plagued by way of damage, or each. Over Herbert’s first 3 seasons, he gave the look of the following large celebrity QB at the horizon. In 12 months 1 he set an NFL rookie report by way of passing for 31 TDs. The following season he chucked 38 TDs and threw for greater than 5,000 yards, however the Chargers narrowly overlooked the postseason. The ’22 season noticed Herbert throw for fewer TDs and yards, however lower down at the turnovers because the Chargers made the playoffs with 10 wins.
Then that loopy wild-card recreation in opposition to Jacksonville came about and issues actually went off the rails. A 27-0 lead turned into a 31-30 loss in what felt like an issue of seconds. However Herbert was once spared as he had a tight recreation and Staley’s protection was once slaughtered for giving up this sort of lead. Staley would finally end up being the “explanation why” just about on every occasion issues went unsuitable all the way through his tenure as head trainer of the Chargers.
A lot of the grievance Staley gained was once in truth earned during the last 3 years. That’s why he’s out and Harbaugh is in. This implies Herbert might be receiving the advantage of the doubt much less continuously. If Harbaugh is available in and does what’s anticipated, the Chargers must be within the playoffs each and every season and Herbert must constantly be a few of the most sensible 3 or 4 QBs within the league.
Harbaugh will tweak some issues to his liking inside every unit, however this group is able to win. They have already got the prototypical QB the NFL nonetheless fawns over in Herbert with items round him and on protection. We’ve noticed Harbaugh take groups with much less proficient QBs and move on superb postseason runs. Herbert is an outstanding younger skill, however those Chargers haven’t been with reference to that degree of luck. That’s why Harbaugh is in SoCal, to get those guys over the hump and in competition.
But when issues move unsuitable, particularly early on, it gained’t be Harbaugh who will get the blame. For the primary time since changing into a professional, it’ll be Herbert receiving the majority of grievance. No person expects this group to fight subsequent 12 months, even in a department with the Kansas Town Chiefs, however that is the NFL. The pronouncing ‘on any given Sunday’ exists for a explanation why. Herbert must do the entirety inside his energy to make sure he isn’t that “explanation why.”
