Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert runs onto the field before Sunday’s game against the Cardinals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Luke Johnson / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert runs onto the field before Sunday’s game against the Cardinals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Luke Johnson / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
The Los Angeles Chargers would’ve needed a great game from Justin Herbert to win their season opener Sunday.
Don’t ask me why that’s what was needed. We’d be here all day.
It’s enough to know that it was a rough day for L.A.’s defense, its special teams and the rest of the offense outside of tackle Joe Alt and a few others.
Coach Jim Harbaugh didn’t manage the game well. Nor did his coordinators earn high marks.
With injured star receiver Ladd McConkey sidelined for the whole fourth quarter, Herbert would’ve had to play at its very best for L.A. to have any chance to win.
This isn’t a Herbert apologia.
He’s expected to play great, but did not. He gets no free passes for the 26-14 loss, earned by the deserving Arizona Cardinals as a 9 1/2-point underdog.
Here’s the thing: Herbert has moved out of the Golden Boy stage of his career.
Critics demand that Herbert deliver the sparkling results that great QBs produce.
If he doesn’t, well, they’re not holding back. Not even in Week 1.
“I guess we wait one more week before Herbert starts becoming the best QB of all time,” former Chiefs All-Pro right tackle Mitchell Schwartz said Sunday.
“Shucks, was stoked thinking today’s the day.”
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert rushes the ball in the first half of Sunday's loss to the Cardinals at SoFi Stadium.(Luke Johnson / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert rushes the ball in the first half of Sunday’s loss to the Cardinals at SoFi Stadium.(Luke Johnson / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Schwartz tends to be measured. He has praised Herbert many times.
But in the media-and-perception game, it feels like Herbert has entered a more intense phase of his career.
Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel’s hire in January is a big part of it.
McDaniel is expected to rid Herbert of habits that contributed to L.A. not scoring a TD last January in its first-round playoff loss at New England and to his interceptions two winters ago in the first-round defeat at Houston.
Because of McDaniel’s success with Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and his 10 years in the successful Shanahan offensive system, in which he went to a pair of Super Bowls as an assistant to Kyle Shanahan, Herbert is now expected to have a very good season.
Further inflating expectations, Harbaugh continues to praise him like few other QBs have been praised. That’s what Harbaugh does. Like when he labeled his Michigan QB, J.J. McCarthy, the best quarterback of a draft class headed by Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye.
Herbert got a C-grade from me for Sunday’s performance.
He had an above-average first half, amid meager opportunities.
In the fourth quarter, he pulled his grade down a full letter with a huge mistake.
On first down from his 40, with Arizona ahead by nine points, Herbert threw a long pass on first down into heavy coverage for 5-foot-8 Derius Davis.
Safety Andrew Wingard picked it off. Lacking McConkey, Herbert overreacted and forced a play he shouldn’t have.
From there, Herbert couldn’t have done much to rally L.A.
He wasn’t to blame for the offense having only three possessions in the first half.
The first of those drives went 77 yards for a tying TD, via McConkey catching three passes for 60 yards and Omarion Hampton’s bruising 8-yard scoring run.
The offense didn’t get another shot until the second quarter.
Herbert’s teammates muffed that one.
Hampton fumbled after running into receiver Tre Harris, whom Wingard had driven backward four yards by exploiting suspect technique.
In L.A.’s final possession of the half, Herbert led a 66-yard drive into the red zone only to get sacked on fourth-and-goal from the 3 due to a quick loss by left guard Trey Pipkins.
While Pipkins was getting beat, Herbert was scanning to his right at two L.A. pass-catchers clouded by three defenders. When he turned left, the pass-rusher was on him.
Another problem: Six of Herbert’s first-half handoffs went for “bad” runs, further burdening the QB.
The Herbert-McConkey connection dazzled — seven passes netted 106 yards, counting a 24-yard penalty.
The rest of the offense was mostly dysfunctional. And Arizona was well-prepared, three times anticipating where a high-stakes pass was going.
Those results: McConkey’s injury/incompletion on third and long, a third-and-5 incompletion to Harris and a Herbert sack.
The Raiders are the next opponent.
The standard won’t change. Herbert will be expected to live up to a star’s standard.