He rarely takes a hit because he gets rid of the ball. From the chin to the hairline, he’s really smart - that’s why they do a lot of things with him. “He’s got the whole package in my opinion. “He just gets better and better,” said Spagnuolo of Herbert. On Monday, Kansas City defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo talked about the Chargers quarterback. This causes off-ball defenders who are hungry for a run stop to sometimes overcommit on the wrong snap. It will be hard to avoid the effectiveness of play-action, because the Chargers are an under-center team that will rush with running back Austin Ekeler. In wide receiver Mike Williams, he has a downfield target with which a cornerback like Trent McDuffie simply cannot match. Herbert can beat a defense in a lot of ways, but giving him that play-action pocket with longer-developing routes downfield is what you want to avoid. Just tight coverage, and relentless pass rush to try and cut off these runways for him to throw from /Ibc6T30fxM- Ron Kopp Jr. Justin Herbert can beat you in a lot of ways, and the under-center play action shots where he can really step into his throw might be the worst On those 16 dropbacks, he completed 13 passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns. Herbert used play action on 47% of his dropbacks, the third-highest rate in Week 1. But by maximizing Herbert’s strengths, the Los Angeles passsing game still made the difference. In Week 1, they relied on their running game to help them outlast the Raiders, with Herbert having the third-fewest dropbacks in any one game in his career. The Chargers trust Justin Herbert he dropped back to pass at the NFL’s third-highest mark in 2021. Los Angeles earned the 26th-ranked Defensive DVOA rating. Their third-down defense ranked dead last in conversion percentage.
The run defense ranked in the top three for most yards, touchdowns, and first downs allowed. On the flip side, last year’s Chargers allowed the NFL’s fourth-most points, along with the eighth-most yards per play. Los Angeles earned the fourth-highest Offensive DVOA rating in the NFL. They ranked sixth in yards per play, fourth in third-down conversion rate, fourth in red-zone conversion percentage and had the fourth-lowest sack rate in the league. In 2021, the Chargers finished fifth in total points and fourth in total yards among NFL teams. They started the 2022 season with a 24-19 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders at home. Last season, they missed the playoffs with a 9-8 record. It’s the third campaign with quarterback Justin Herbert under center. The Chargers are entering their second season under head coach Brandon Staley and offensive play caller Joe Lombardi. Here’s everything you need to know about the current version of the Chargers: In this weekly Opponent Scout series, I’ll break down the Kansas City Chiefs ’ upcoming opponent by examining their strengths, weaknesses and tendencies - and how those things affect the matchup.įor the home opener on Thursday night, Kansas City is hosting the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday afternoon.