Many fan bases have unique rooting rituals, but none are quite as special as those that are part of being an LA Chargers fan. Danger lurks around every corner, whether it manifests in the form of insanely bad turnovers, low-light videos that end up in blooper reels, or straight-up boneheaded plays that barely be imagined, much less brought to fruition.
But those mini-tragedies have largely been eliminated this year, at least when it comes to Justin Herbert. The former gunslinger has made his share of bad plays and head-shaking turnovers in the past, but new coach Jim Harbaugh seems to have transformed him into a new man, and as a result the phenomenon known as “Chargering” has largely disappeared.
Justin Herbert’s recent track record with turnovers
The Chargers are currently riding a three-game win streak, and Herbert’s ability to avoid turnovers is one big reason why. He’s thrown for 11 touchdowns with just a single pick, which is a major departure from past patterns. Herbert has fumbled just four times, and only one has resulted in a turnover.
Herbert had never been a turnover machine, and his fumble numbers are the same as last year’s. He threw for 20 TDs last year with seven picks, and in 2023 he fumbled more frequently, losing three out of eight to go with 25 TDs and 10 picks.
This is the kind of downward trend that Harbaugh loves, and it’s been a point of emphasis this year. Harbaugh went wtih a "ground and pound" approach early on, and for a while it almost looked like the Chargers star was being turned into a system quarterback.
Herbert’s passing numbers tell a different story
It definitely took Herbert a while to get untracked when Harbaugh took over. The Chargers quarterback was held below 200 yards in his first four games, but lately Herbert has looked more like his old self. He’s thrown for over 250 yards in each of the last three games, and some of the big-strike capability has returned to LA’s offense, with 60+ yard passes resurfacing against Cleveland and New Orleans.
More importantly, Herbert hasn’t just been able to avoid turnovers. Part of “Chargering” has been his mystifying inability to make key plays at critical points in big games, but the LA quarterback hasn’t had to make nearly as many big plays this year. He’s been asked to be more of a game manager, and that’s another byproduct of Harbaugh’s system.
The downside of the Chargers recent win streak is that the opponents were Cleveland, Tennessee and New Orleans. The first two teams on that list have devolved into genuine train wrecks, and the Saints are a mediocre bunch who have had their share of no-show games as well.
Some of the quarterback’s scrambles are still scary
The one aspect of Justin Herbert’s game that still lends itself to “Chargering” is his occasional forays from the pocket. Herbert is big, strong and athletic, but that doesn’t mean he can constantly take big hits. He’s been nicked-up a lot this year, and keeping him healthy going forward is critical.
This is one area where there’s some conflict with Harbaugh’s style and preferences. Harbaugh loves it when his quarterbacks act morph into “football players” when they leave the pocket, but Herbert isn’t Josh Allen, and he needs to be more conscious of when to bail on a play and get out of bounds. Sliding and heading for the sidelines may not be sexy, but over the long haul it helps win games by keeping quarterbacks healthy.
The Chargers are about to get tested in a big way
The soft stretch in LA’s schedule is definitely over, though. They get a home game against a still-dangerous Cincinnati team on Sunday night, and after that the schedule turns very real, with Baltimore coming to town and visits to Atlanta and Kansas City on the docket after that.
Those games will tell us a lot about whether Herbert’s “Chargering” days are really over. Herbert may have to hold his own in track meet games against Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson, and Patrick Mahomes has kept the Chiefs undefeated by biding his time and making big plays when his opponents make mistakes.
The challenges Herbert and Harbaugh face during this tough stretch will tell us a lot about whether they really are the playoff team no one in the AFC wants to face, or if LA will give us yet another new definition of “Chargering.”