It’s no secret that the Chargers are in a tough spot after starting the season 0-2.
After the Chargers concluded practice on Wednesday and quarterback Justin Herbert stepped to the podium for media availability, Noah Furtado of The Athletic asked him about “vocal leadership” in the locker room, to which the QB refuted any claim that they are lacking this quality.
“I think that happens regardless. I think our team is so close, and so I don’t think there’s a lack of vocal leadership at all,” Herbert said with a strong and stern response. “So, I think I’m going to stop you right there and say that it’s very present. We’ve got great leadership on this team.”
Herbert said he trusts the guys in the Chargers’ locker room, and he doesn’t believe anyone is panicking over the team’s slow start.
“It’s moving on to the next play and understanding we’re close, we’ve made mistakes, how do we fix them, how do we move on,” Herbert said.
The fiery response by Herbert caught everyone by surprise, as he usually speaks in a calm, subtle manner.
The Chargers have been one of the NFL’s biggest surprises this season, after suffering back-to-back losses to the Cardinals and Raiders at home.
In a revamped offense crafted by new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, Los Angeles was expected to be among the league’s best. Instead, the Chargers have looked helpless on the field, ranking 21st in the league for passing yards per game (185), 19th in rushing yards (104) and 29th in points per game (14).
It’s still early in the season, so it’s hard to write them off. But there is still some concern.
Drops by the wide receivers continue to remain a problem for the offense, and it appears Herbert has reached his limit. He had a rare emotional outburst during the fourth quarter after a late snap hit Tre’ Harris’ legs — resulting in a fourth down.
Herbert isn’t the only Charger who is aware of the team’s poor play. Star linebacker Khalil Mack said he “blanked out” during Sunday’s loss but is confident the team will turn it around.
Safety Derwin James is frustrated as well but remains in high spirits. “That s–t just looks trash.” But also added that despite being angry, it doesn’t “fix anything.”
