It’s still early in the season, but Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers’ playoff hopes are already beginning to fade.
The Chargers fell to the Kansas City Chiefs by a score of 31-17 on Sunday afternoon, dropping them to 2-4 on the season.
Afterward, quarterback Justin Herbert insisted that the team will not throw in the towel.
“It hasn’t gone our way the past couple of games, but no one’s going to panic, no one’s going to quit, no one’s going to give up,” said Herbert, via Michael Baca of NFL.com. “I know we’re going to attack practice this week the same way we have each of the past weeks. So I’m looking for the challenge, the opportunity. A tough week, but we’re going to get better because of it.”
Herbert was shaky in the loss, going 17-for-30 with 259 yards, a touchdown and a couple of interceptions. He has not been playing his best football in recent weeks, as Herbert has completed under 60 percent of his passes in each of his last three games and has totaled four interceptions during that span after a scintillating run over the first three weeks of 2023.
For the second straight game, Herbert threw a game-sealing pick late in the fourth quarter, a scenario which is becoming all too common for a Los Angeles club that is struggling in second halves.
“It’s all four quarters, and we have to put together four quarters, or however long the game takes until there’s zero left on the clock,” Herbert said. “Our offense has to keep moving. We have to keep converting, and we have to do a better job.”
On the season overall, Herbert has thrown for 1,592 yards, 10 touchdowns and four interceptions while completing 67 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 97.1.
While his numbers look good on the surface, Herbert has clearly been laboring in recent weeks, and his struggles are playing a major role in LA’s slide.
The Chargers will aim to right the ship when they take on the Chicago Bears next weekend.
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