Chargers fans aren’t the only ones losing their minds over Justin Herbert and that offense right now. Through just three games, Herbert has thrown more picks than touchdown passes, and ESPN insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano are absolutely tearing into his early season play. They included him in a small group of underperforming quarterbacks where the “panic meter” is hitting new highs.
What The Heck Is Happening Out There?
Fowler didn’t pull any punches, calling Herbert’s play “inexcusably bad.” The dude’s in his seventh year, 98 career starts, and has played at a high level before. We *know* what he can do, so this isn’t some rookie struggling with the moment. But the offense under coordinator Mike McDaniel? Fowler is calling it “jumbled,” and he’s not even sure where they turn next. Graziano is just as blunt, seeing a total “disconnect between player and scheme.” He quoted an evaluator who said everything looks “difficult and exhausting” for Herbert. Remember all that offseason hype about Herbert’s “immense natural talent” finally flourishing with McDaniel? Yeah, that’s clearly not happening. The hits keep coming too: offensive line injuries popped up right as the season started, the run game is stuck in neutral, and those “promised” jumps from the receivers? Nowhere to be found. Herbert looks lost, “confused and overwhelmed” by whatever McDaniel is asking him to do.
System Shock or Personnel Problem?
There’s a bunch of theories swirling about how the Chargers can fix this mess, mostly centered on “simplifying things” to just get *some* success going. But here’s the kicker: there’s serious concern that the actual personnel on the roster doesn’t even fit what McDaniel’s offense is built to do. That’s a huge problem, right? Fowler pointed out Herbert is a “true pocket passer,” while McDaniel’s success with Tua Tagovailoa came from Tua throwing with “anticipation to spots.” So, is Herbert struggling to adapt, or is McDaniel just not using him right? Fowler still believes the old Herbert is in there, but he admits it’s getting tougher to argue that point every single week. And that “mismatched personnel” concern? Totally valid, he says. Oh, and here’s a stat that screams “help this man”: Justin Herbert leads the *entire NFL* in passing yards lost due to drops. Yikes.
Heading into Week Four, the Chargers are a complete puzzle, and not the fun kind. They’ve just released their unofficial depth chart, and everyone’s checking the power rankings to see just how far they’ve tumbled. Can they figure out this disconnect between Herbert and McDaniel before this season becomes a total write-off? Or will the “panic meter” just keep climbing? We’re all watching to see if they can somehow dig themselves out of this hole.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bolts from the Blue.
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