The AFC West received a bit extra fascinating a few weeks in the past when the Los Angeles Chargers added Jim Harbaugh to the fold, changing Brandon Staley as head coach. That’s not simply from a persona standpoint: The Chargers are expected to look much different on the sector, particularly on offense, which is Harbaugh’s specialty. So, all the reasons are thrown out the window for Justin Herbert.
This isn’t an indictment of Herbert or what he has or hasn’t completed in his NFL profession. It’s merely a matter of mentioning the reality. Herbert’s been actually good (even nice, at instances) throughout his first 4 years within the league. His 2023 marketing campaign was shortened by accidents as he performed the fewest video games (13) of his profession. A few of his numbers even slipped to profession lows in passing yards, touchdowns and completion share, amongst others.
Nonetheless, we’ll give him a mulligan as practically each quarterback has at the very least one yr that’s simply dangerous, stricken by harm, or each. Over Herbert’s first three seasons, he appeared like the subsequent large celebrity QB on the horizon. In 12 months 1 he set an NFL rookie report by passing for 31 TDs. The subsequent season he chucked 38 TDs and threw for greater than 5,000 yards, however the Chargers narrowly missed the postseason. The ’22 season noticed Herbert throw for fewer TDs and yards, however minimize down on the turnovers because the Chargers made the playoffs with 10 wins.
Then that crazy wild-card game against Jacksonville occurred and issues actually went off the rails. A 27-0 lead grew to become a 31-30 loss in what felt like a matter of seconds. However Herbert was spared as he had a good recreation and Staley’s protection was slaughtered for giving up such a lead. Staley would find yourself being the “reason” just about every time issues went incorrect throughout his tenure as head coach of the Chargers.
A lot of the criticism Staley received was honestly earned over the previous three years. That’s why he’s out and Harbaugh is in. This implies Herbert will probably be receiving the good thing about the doubt much less usually. If Harbaugh is available in and does what’s anticipated, the Chargers ought to be within the playoffs each season and Herbert ought to constantly be among the many prime three or 4 QBs within the league.
Harbaugh will tweak some issues to his liking inside every unit, however this workforce 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 seen Harbaugh take groups with much less gifted QBs and go on wonderful postseason runs. Herbert is an outstanding younger expertise, however these Chargers haven’t been near that stage of success. That’s why Harbaugh is in SoCal, to get these guys over the hump and in rivalry.
But when issues go incorrect, particularly early on, it received’t be Harbaugh who will get the blame. For the primary time since turning into a professional, it’ll be Herbert receiving the majority of criticism. Nobody expects this workforce to wrestle subsequent yr, even in a division with the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, however that is the NFL. The saying ‘on any given Sunday’ exists for a purpose. Herbert must do every little thing inside his energy to make sure he isn’t that “reason.”
