Justin Herbert seems no longer able to elevate Chargers' inept and injured offense

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Justin Herbert spent the previous two seasons as the Los Angeles Chargers’ fixer, able to overcome whatever injuries or issues were hindering their offense through his talent and effort.

That no longer seems to be the case, as demonstrated in a disastrous fourth quarter of the Chargers' 23-17 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

Having started the final period with a 17-10 lead, Herbert had five possessions in the final 15 minutes. They resulted in a three-and-out, a turnover on downs, a lost fumble, an interception and the clock running out when Herbert took a game-ending sack without getting a Hail Mary attempt off.

“We got to do whatever we can to win football games, make plays, and do what we can to score points,” Herbert said. “We haven’t been doing that, and we got to do that better.”

Herbert has been through similar circumstances in his career, but never to this extreme. The offensive line started four rookies against Denver because of injuries. He didn’t have two of his top receivers to start the game — the Chargers were so beat up that Ladd McConkey was active seemingly to field a CBA-compliant game day roster; he didn’t practice all week because of a foot injury, and the TV broadcast indicated he was never going to play — before another wideout went down in the third quarter.

It means everything is on Herbert, and he looks to be feeling the pressure in ways the Oregon product never has previously. He fumbled the ball trying to throw it while in the grasp of Broncos defensive end Zach Allen, setting up Denver’s go-ahead field goal.

Herbert nearly lost the ball in almost identical fashion on the Chargers' next possession, only for it to end up right back in his hands. That drive ended on a fourth-down interception when he threw the ball directly to safety Brandon Jones.

There are still traces of the old Herbert. He shook two defenders on a 10-yard scramble early in the third quarter to offset a holding penalty, then moved in the pocket to buy time before finding tight end Charlie Kolar on a third-down reception to move the chains two plays later. A single-wing sweep allowed Herbert to pop a big run and get the offense into the red zone, and the drive ended with his lone touchdown pass of the afternoon.

But Herbert is also taking plenty of abuse, another all-too-common sight. He was sacked five more times, taking his total to 17 through five games. Herbert came up limping when he was yanked down by his left leg by Nik Bonitto, the kind of hit the Chargers hoped to alleviate when they brought in Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator.

At 0-5 and with no signs of help on the way, it doesn’t look like things will be getting easier for Herbert any time soon.

“It’s tough,” Herbert said. “It’s definitely not where we want to be in the process.”

The defense is starting to settle in under new coordinator Chris O’Leary. The Chargers limited the Broncos to 224 total yards, 3.9 yards per play, and 1 of 12 (8.3%) on third down, despite being without versatile safety Derwin James because of a hamstring injury.

McDaniel needs to simplify his offense to accommodate the ridiculous number of injuries on that side of the ball. The Chargers can move the ball when things are kept basic, such as Kimani Vidal ripping off a 42-yard touchdown run on a textbook outside zone play, but McDaniel's insistence on trickery and motion is slowing things down.

Rookie OLB Akheem Mesidor had his best game yet, finishing with a team-high eight tackles, a strip-sack, and a tackle for loss. The 22nd pick out of Miami, Mesidor is getting more comfortable every week, and his growth is allowing the defensive front to hit its stride.

RB Omarion Hampton averaged a season-low 2.36 yards per carry, netting 33 yards on 14 attempts. Drafted in the first round in 2025, Hampton needs to be more dynamic to help balance the offense and reduce the pressure on Herbert. Even against a defense as strong as Denver’s, he shouldn’t be getting outgained by Vidal or Herbert, who combined for 111 yards on their 14 attempts.

WR Tre Harris left with a hamstring injury he sustained while run blocking when Hampton ran into him to start the second half.

14 — The Chargers outscored the Broncos 14-0 in the third quarter and outgained them 125 yards to 5. It was their highest-scoring quarter of the season and second-most productive in terms of yardage, after their 168-yard fourth quarter against the Seahawks in Week 4.

The Chargers visit another AFC West foe, Kansas City, this weekend, looking to avoid their first winless start through six games since 2000, when they finished 1-15.

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