Justin Herbert Addresses Shocking Lack of Passing Game in Chargers Season Opener

Valentina Martinez | Sep 14, 2024

Sep 8, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) throws the ball against the Las Vegas Raiders in the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Chargers won their season opener against the Las Vegas Raiders in an unusual fashion. Unlike most of their games in 2023, Justin Herbert wasn't the star of the show.

In fact, Herbert didn't tally massive numbers in Week 1, a sign that the influence of the new regime has already changed the offensive unit.

Throughout his four years with the San Francisco 49ers, head coach Jim Harbaugh's offense finished 29th or worse in pass attempts. San Francisco quarterbacks never reached the 3,500-yard mark.

It's important to note that Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick don't play the same as Herbert, but Harbaugh's philosophy in Los Angeles will likely feature remnants of the scheme while he was the 49ers head coach.

Herbert didn't look as sharp in Sunday's 22-10 win over the Raiders. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert totaled the second-fewest passing yards in the first half of a game in his career with 67 yards. His two passing first downs were a career-low in the first half of a game.

Furthermore, the offense struggled to make plays on third downs and in the red zone. The Chargers were 4-of-15 on third downs and 2-of-4 in the red zone. Half of the third down conversions were runs, but the final third down was a touchdown to rookie Ladd McConkey.

The final frame of the game featured a dominant run game, but the passing game was largely absent for the Chargers.

"Not every game is going to be pretty in the NFL," Herbert said via the team transcript. "And obviously we want to do a lot better on offense.

"But the defense, it was awesome to see those guys go out there and play super tough, physical defense and get some turnovers," Herbert added. "We're looking for our shot when the offense can carry the way."

Given the lack of experience with the Chargers' wide receiver corps, it's likely the run game will continue to have a strong presence for Los Angeles.

However, it would be a mistake to limit Herbert to merely a handoff quarterback. Herbert certainly has a better matchup in Week 2 against the Carolina Panthers to put up stronger numbers.

In the end, the Chargers got the job done in Week 1. Now it's time for the team to cement their identity by repeating the good things they did against the Raiders and leaving behind the not-so-good things in the season opener.

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