Justin Herbert’s season has gone from frustrating to flat-out baffling.
For years, he’s been the quarterback Oregon fans pointed to with pride on Sundays, the former Ducks star who grew into one of the NFL’s best at the position. But this year has looked nothing like that version of Herbert.
The Chargers came in with Super Bowl hopes. Seven games later, they’re 0-7 and staring at a season that has gone completely off the rails.
The record tells the bigger story, but Herbert’s play is where the real alarm bells are ringing. He has been arguably the worst starting quarterback in the league this season, and that’s hard to square with everything he’s shown over the course of his career.
Yes, the offensive line has taken heat, and yes, first-year offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel has become part of the conversation. But Herbert’s own decision-making has been shaky from the start.
Sunday only added to the mess. In the loss to the Rams, Herbert went 24-for-32 for 257 yards, threw two interceptions and didn’t find the end zone.
The advanced numbers are even harsher. Among qualified quarterbacks, Herbert is 30th out of 30 in EPA per play, a stunning place for a player with his track record.
After Sunday’s outing, he was last in the NFL in EPA/Play, “30th out of 30 qualifying QBs. Barely edging out Daniel Jones.”
The turnover problem has become a weekly issue, too. Herbert has now thrown an interception in every Chargers game this season, making him the only quarterback with at least one pick in each of his team’s seven games.
That kind of consistency is usually a good thing. In this case, it’s just another sign of how badly things have gone.
Not every mistake can be pinned on the line or the scheme, either. On Sunday, Herbert threw an interception straight to a Rams defender, a play that had nothing to do with protection or confusion around the offense.
“Justin Herbert throws his 10th interception of the season.”
At this point, Herbert looks like a quarterback who has lost his footing. With the Chargers already at 0-7, the idea of a playoff push is gone.
The more immediate question is how the team gets its franchise quarterback back on track. A short benching might make sense, especially with coaching changes potentially on the horizon.
The bigger picture is even murkier. The Chargers need to figure out how to get Herbert playing like himself again, because this season has turned into a dead end. The fit between Mike McDaniel and Herbert has clearly not worked, and even a midseason firing would not suddenly fix everything on offense.
That leaves the offseason as the real turning point. It’s going to matter a lot for Herbert and for the Chargers, who could either find their way back into contention or keep sliding.
Jim Harbaugh will have a major call to make about his future, and if he stays, he’ll need to work closely with the front office and the staff to get the most out of Herbert. Right now, it’s a lost season.
In Other News...
Na'eem Offord Gets His Biggest Oregon Test Yet Against Ohio State
After the win over Northwestern, Oregons attention turns quickly to a far bigger measuring stick: an 11th-ranked Ohio State team that will bring plenty of national attention and a familiar storyline with it. Cornerback Na'eem Offord sits right at the center of it, not just because of the matchup, but because he was once an Ohio State recruit before flipping to Oregon and becoming one of the more interesting figures on this weeks radar.
For Ducks fans, it adds another layer to a game that already carries weight. Offord now gets a chance to show what he can do against the program that once wanted him, and hell be doing it against an Ohio State offense that is missing key players. However the matchup plays out, it gives Oregon one of its most intriguing individual tests of the season and a spotlight moment for a defender whose path to Eugene already made him a talking point. [Read more 🡒]
Bucky Irving Just Gave Oregon Fans Another Reason To Dream
Bucky Irving keeps giving Oregon fans plenty to track on Sundays, and his latest outing was the kind that turns heads far beyond Tampa Bay. In a 16-0 win over the Atlanta Falcons, the former Ducks standout carried the offense in a way that felt almost old-school, piling up career highs with 27 carries and 170 rushing yards while finding the end zone once.
The Buccaneers also made franchise history with 323 rushing yards, and they did it in a game where they did not complete a pass, a rare feat in the Super Bowl era. For Irving, it was another sign that his rookie-to-second-year surge is real, with his season now on pace to be his best yet as he continues to build a reputation as one of the leagues most reliable young backs. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Heads Into Ohio State With A Worry Fans Cant Ignore
Oregon got past Northwestern, but the win came with the kind of injury fallout that can linger into a much bigger week. The Ducks took hits at running back and on special teams, with Jordon Davison leaving with a leg injury, Dierre Hill Jr. getting banged up and returner Dakorien Moore also dealing with an issue as the team turned its attention to Ohio State.
Dan Lanning said Davison will need further evaluation, while Hill is still being described as a little banged up. Moore, though, is expected to be ready for the Buckeyes, and Jeremiah McClellan is back practicing as he works his way back from a broken foot. Even with some encouraging signs, Oregons depth is about to be tested in a game where every healthy body matters. [Read more 🡒]