EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh offered a rare public critique of quarterback Justin Herbert a day after the team’s 24-16 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
“Be better. Be better,” Harbaugh said of Herbert’s decision-making. “And that drives Justin, that drives me, that drives his position coach, that drives Mike \[McDaniel\], the coordinator. I mean, drives us all.”
Since he took the job in 2023, Harbaugh has avoided criticizing his star quarterback, often willing to point out other players’ mistakes in defense of the QB. Harbaugh said Herbert’s interception in Week 2 against the Las Vegas Raiders was wide receiver Derius Davis’ fault, for example. In Week 1, when two Arizona Cardinals defenders ran free at Herbert for a sack, Harbaugh said Herbert’s protection calls weren’t an issue; rather, wide receiver Tre’ Harris ran the wrong route.
Harbaugh has said throughout his tenure that he thinks Herbert is the greatest quarterback of all time. He once said he wishes he could trade genes with Herbert because of how perfect a player and person he is.
Last week, Harbaugh said he “wouldn’t change a thing about Justin.”
That makes Harbaugh’s criticisms Monday all the more meaningful, as Herbert hasn’t looked like the player many consider among the NFL’s most talented quarterbacks this season.
Sunday’s game marked another poor performance for Herbert, who looks like a shell of himself in McDaniel’s offense. Herbert finished with 226 passing yards, one touchdown and an interception, but could have easily had three picks if Bills defenders hadn’t dropped two. The interception that was caught, by C.J. Gardner-Johnson, was almost thrown directly to the safety. The ball was intended for wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, but Gardner-Johnson was in coverage, clearly waiting for the ball.
“Poor awareness, poor decision. Throws him a meatball sub,” said Tom Brady, the former quarterback turned color commentator for Fox Sports.
The offense has been the Chargers’ Achilles’ heel through three games. General manager Joe Hortiz spent this offseason retooling the offense in McDaniel’s vision, a scheme based on anticipatory throwing and wide zone runs. In training camp, McDaniel said Herbert had been significantly ahead of any other quarterbacks he had worked with in their first year in the system, but Herbert has never looked less comfortable through three games.
The Chargers lost despite the defense forcing five turnovers Sunday, when the offense scored only 14 points. Time and time again, the defense gave the offense an opportunity as the Chargers searched for their first win of the season.
Instead, Herbert and the offense looked as disjointed as they had all year -- drops from tight end Oronde Gadsden and Quentin Johnston, five offensive penalties in the third quarter, and even a missed Cameron Dicker field goal attempt.
“We want to be better. We got to be better. We got to look at our scheme,” Harbaugh said. “We got to look at how we’re performing, how we’re doing things and who’s doing it.”