EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Justin Herbert knew during offseason workouts that there were going to be plenty of growing pains during Jim Harbaugh’s first season coaching the Los Angeles Chargers.
Yet, even with a young receiving core and a shift in philosophy toward being more of a run team, hardly anyone expected Herbert’s passing numbers to plummet.
Herbert and the 2-2 Chargers go into Sunday’s game at Denver (3-2) still looking for his first 200-yard passing game this season. He is averaging 144.5 yards per game, second lowest in the league behind New England’s Jacoby Brissett.
It’s also a long way off from his starts in other years. During his first four seasons in the league, he averaged 295.6 passing yards through the first four games.
Herbert though isn’t sounding the alarm bells about the drop in numbers, and has confidence in offensive coordinator Greg Roman’s scheme.
“Panicking doesn’t help. I see it as a confidence and faith that we’re going to get things right,” Herbert said. “It’s a new offense, it’s a tough offense. We’re going to get it picked up. As long as we’re moving forward, that’s all we can ask for.”
The offense’s progress and development have also been stifled because of injuries. Herbert suffered a high sprain to his right ankle during the third quarter of a 26-3 win at Carolina on Sept. 15, which limited his mobility and some of the play calls in losses to Pittsburgh and Kansas City.
The injury has also meant that Herbert has not been a full participant in practice for at least three weeks. After a bye week though, Herbert has taken part in some full-team drills the past couple of days.
There has also been plenty of shuffling on the offensive line. Tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt suffered injuries at Pittsburgh and did not play against the Chiefs. There is a chance both could be back this week after returning to practice.
Roman said the injuries have been a factor in putting game plans together.
“There’s a lot of stuff we haven’t even touched yet or been able to put out on the field. Justin is double tough playing through but does it affect what you’re going to do? Clearly it does,” Roman said.
The two biggest areas coming out of the bye week where Roman and Herbert want to see major gains are executing on early downs and better production in the red zone.
The Chargers are averaging only 4.5 yards per play on first down, the league’s fourth-lowest average.
Los Angeles’ average third down distance needed for a first down is 7.5 yards, tied for sixth highest. It is 3 for 23 on third-and-long (7 yards or more to go), tied for second worst.
One reason why the Chargers have been getting off schedule is penalties. Their 15 offensive infractions are tied with Philadelphia for the most among teams that have played only four games.
The offense is also looking to score more touchdowns when it reaches the red zone. After first-quarter touchdowns the past two games, they were held to field goals the rest of the way.
One thing not concerning either Herbert or Roman is play distribution. The Chargers have run it on 53% of their plays, the league’s second-highest rate. The percentages are slightly skewed though because in the Week 2 win at Carolina, they ran it on 44 of their 65 plays. That marked the first time since 2013 they had run it on two-thirds of their offensive plays.
In the past two games though, it has leaned 55% toward pass plays. Quentin Johnston and rookie Ladd McConkey have emerged as dependable options for Herbert despite the lack of depth at receiver.
“We know how complex the offense is, but one of the great things about it is it is able to scheme up and put our team in a position to win,” Herbert said.
Roman does envision some games where they will lean heavily toward the pass game. But his bigger goal is building an offense that can be sustainable over the long run.
“Every week is going to be different. I love it when Justin goes back there and is able to throw the football. We all do. It’s a thing of beauty, but we’re trying to build something here that can win in a lot of different conditions under different circumstances,” Roman said. “I think we want to have that balance, but there are definitely going to be some days where we’re able to adjust. I haven’t even scratched the surface right now.”
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