The Los Angeles Chargers fell to 2-2 on the season, after losing to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Despite the defense coming through and causing turnovers, the offense appeared to be out of sync. A slew of pre-snap penalties led to missed opportunities.
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert chose to take the high road and not the "easy answer" that the new offensive line led to the offense being a bit off. He is correct in stating that it's not just the line. Herbert has not looked like his normal self in the first four games.
In four games, Herbert has only tallied 578 yards passing. This places him at No. 28 in the NFL among qualified quarterbacks. That breaks down to about 144 yards per game. This is concerning for someone who was considered to be one of the purest passers the league had seen since Miami Dolphins great Dan Marino.
Herbert has posted elite stats through each of his first four seasons, even in 2023 when his season was cut short due to needing surgery on a fractured finger on his throwing hand.
Despite only 13 games, Herbert threw for 3,134 yards, which breaks down to 241 yards per game.
That average is currently nowhere to be seen. Could the surgery sustained on his throwing hand be impacting his throwing ability? Or is it the new injuries that he has sustained?
Herbert was dealing with a right plantar fascia to his foot in training camp, leading to his not suiting up for the majority of that time. Instead, he stayed out of preseason and suited up for Week 1.
The Chargers pulled off back-to-back wins in Week 1 and 2, but Herbert didn't appear to be his normal field-stretching self. It could be that losing both Mike Williams and Keenan Allen stunted the offense. Or it could be that his injuries are continuing to ruin his ability to throw the deep ball.
Herbert sustained a high-ankle sprain in Week 3 but was adamant about playing through it against the Chiefs. At one point in the game, Herbert was seen limping to the sideline. This ankle injury could be preventing him from being able to throw the deep ball.
It might also be the lack of playmakers that is also softening the offense.
New Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz opted to work with Quentin Jonhston and draft Ladd McConkey to help rebuild the receiving corps. However, it appears this experiment might not be working out the best.
Johnston has brought in three touchdowns so far, but he has only amassed 142 yards receiving.
No receiver on the Chargers team has surpassed the 100 yard mark in the first four games. In fact, no receiver has reached 75 yards either.
The Chargers offense appears to be stunted, and Herbert not stretching the field is something that needs to be addressed.
Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh is making the team practice this week instead of taking off the bye week to "work" on the things they need to. The offense is surely going to get some attention.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/chargers/ as Chargers' Justin Herbert Total Yards is Concerning For Multiple Reasons.