Justin Herbert, Chargers will Live and Die by the Sword

The Los Angeles Chargers missed the playoffs this season, but they have a good foundation for years to come. They have one of the best young coaches in the league and a potential MVP at quarterback – and more importantly, they both are on the same page. 

Brandon Staley is known for his aggressiveness on fourth down. While not everybody around the league is on board with Staley’s philosophy, Justin Herbert agrees with him and that’s all that matters. 

“Selfishly, as the quarterback, I want to be on the field for every fourth down.Whether that’s smart or not, that’s not my call to make,” said Herbert on PFT Live.

“Whether it’s fourth and short, fourth and long, I really believe in the guys we have, and I believe if we don’t get it our defense can come up with the stop. So having the opportunity to go for it and change the game if you do get those, I think that’s big for our team because of how aggressive we are.”

The Chargers were the best team on fourth down last season. They were third in attempts, first in conversions and fifth in conversion rate. It’s clear this is how the Chargers want to play and it’s great that Herbert is fully bought into how Staley operates. 

Teams are being more aggressive every year on fourth downs. Los Angeles is just one of the teams ahead of the pack on that. 

Going for it on every fourth down will come with its ups and downs, which can cause a few momentum swings. The Chargers just need to figure out a way to be on the right side of them. 

Last year, Los Angeles lost five games by one possession. That’s been a theme with the Chargers for years. If they can use their aggressiveness to gain an advantage in those inevitable close games, then maybe we can see Herbert in the postseason for the first time next year.