Justin Herbert cost the Chargers a win on Monday Night Football
The Los Angeles Chargers are now 2-3 on the year after a sloppy loss to the Dallas Cowboys and while there were a lot of problems that created the third failure of the season, star quarterback Justin Herbert's failure to deliver in big moments is what cost them the game. Herbert wasn't himself on Monday […]
The Los Angeles Chargers are now 2-3 on the year after a sloppy loss to the Dallas Cowboys and while there were a lot of problems that created the third failure of the season, star quarterback Justin Herbert's failure to deliver in big moments is what cost them the game.
Herbert wasn't himself on Monday night, as he missed several wide open throws that could would have changed the complexity of the game. There were two really bad overthrows to Keenan Allen in particular, that looked to be easy touchdowns if Herbert just put the ball where it needed to go. Instead, the Chargers were left thinking "what if", like they have done many times this season, already.
Of the mistakes, none were more painful than when Herbert missed a fourth quarter throw to Allen, who was as wide open as one can get in the NFL. The Chargers were down three points with a little over 11 minutes left in the game. A connection would've put them in the lead, but instead, it was another lowlight to add to the reel.
The key with Herbert's performance is he is supposed to be one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Sure, even elite quarterbacks have moments where they wish they can have certain throws back, but they eventually make at least one of those throws when they get a chance. The Cowboys pressured Herbert all night long, but as you can see above, he wasn't pressured on the overthrow, nor was he on a few others.
He simply missed his guys. That's it.
"Even if I was [pressured], that's on me to be able to calm my feet down, stay good in the pocket and deliver that strike," said Herbert. "Keenan ran two great routes and he gave us those opportunities to get those explosive plays. So that's on me to stand in there and deliver and do my job to get him the ball."
No, it's not all on Herbert. But, again, this guy is supposed to be elite: a top-7 quarterback. Some may even have him ranked higher on their list. It's not even about him bringing the team back from behind – he just simply has to make at least one of these throws. It just so happens the team wins the game if he does, but that also makes the loss that much more painful.
"He missed Keenan on the double-move, but that's just part of ball," Chargers head coach Brandon Staley said after the game. "He definitely gave us a chance to win. He competed and we were right there at the end. We've gotta put this one behind us and keep moving."
Staley's defense of Herbert is typical and expected, but the Chargers quarterback owned up to his mistakes after the game.
"Especially at quarterback, I can play a lot better," he told reporters after the game. "… I missed a couple receivers; threw some bad passes. There's a lot left out there, so there's a lot to work on and a lot to improve on…
"… Keenan ran two great routes and I missed him – so that's on me as a quarterback. When we have those explosive opportunities, we have to capitalize on those. That's a really good defense that we're going up against and I can't miss those like that and expect to continue to get back on third down and get back on track on second down."
Don't get it twisted: Herbert is still one of the best in the game. But, he needs to find out how he can bounce back in a big way. Because, he sure wasn't able to get it done against the Cowboys. And if he wants to avoid more dialogue picking at his game, he has to come out and lead his team to victory against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7.
