Justin Herbert, the star quarterback at the Los Angeles Chargers, is motivated to return to form. He’s still fighting through the emotional dog days of his historic playoff flop against the Houston Texans a season ago. The Chargers experienced the most crushingly heartbreaking defeat this week. Herbert had a terrible game, tossing a career-high four picks, an absolutely low point in his young career.
In that playoff head-to-head, Herbert connected on 14 of 32 attempts for a completion percentage of only 43.8%. It’s the worst playoff performance for a Chargers QB since Philip Rivers in 2006. It ranks third worst — tied with two others — in the franchise’s history for quarterbacks with a minimum of 20 attempts. In addition, Herbert was under constant duress all game, being sacked 4 times and pressured on 39% of his dropbacks.
Coach Jim Harbaugh pointed to the offensive line’s struggles as a contributing factor to Herbert’s challenging night. Aside from getting a little defensive, Herbert has gone to the mat for his offensive line. He says they provide him run lanes to get out of the pocket, and they give him time to throw.
“I think it’s important to hold yourself responsible and accountable,” Herbert emphasized when discussing his performance and the team’s overall play. He admitted that bad performances stick with him and impact his approach.
After leading the league in the regular season with just three interceptions, Herbert’s postseason performance was a dramatic departure. He set another record, becoming the first player in NFL history to throw more picks in one playoff game than he had during the whole regular season. This milestone came after he threw over 200 passes.
Reflecting on his past mistakes, Herbert stated, “I try not to make the same mistake twice. I think that’s the most important thing.” He expressed hope for personal improvement moving forward, acknowledging that “it was one of those things that you continue to think about.”
The Los Angeles Chargers are preparing for a fresh season. In the meantime, Herbert should be 100 percent concentrated on improving his play and making sure he doesn’t fumble. “I think that’s going to be really important, is just ball security in this game,” he added, underscoring his commitment to learning from past experiences.
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