Justin Herbert is struggling. The Los Angeles Chargers, in turn, are failing. Both of these statements are true, but the main question, is ‘why’? Many around the NFL have spent countless hours trying to figure out exactly who to blame for the Chargers poor play.
Some believe the blame rests on Herbert’s shoulders. His statistics have taken a huge dip this season. Others feel Chargers head coach, Jim Harbaugh is to blame. His recent interactions with the media have been far from smooth. And most believe new offensive coordinator, Mike McDaniel, is at the epicenter of the problem. His offensive scheme appears to be unnecessarily complicated.
Cris Carter Blames Jim Harbaugh For Justin Herbert’s Struggles
No matter who should ultimately be taking the brunt of the blame, the Chargers organization needs to find answers, quickly. At least one NFL Hall-of-Famer is pointing their finger directly at Harbaugh. Earlier this week, Cris Carter spoke on an episode of ‘Inside Football’. Carter joined Trey Wingo, Marvin Lewis, and Steve Keim to discuss a wide variety of topics.
But Carter, specifically broke down Harbaugh’s coaching style and how he believes it’s holding Herbert back.
“When has Jim Harbaugh had a very effective passing game in the National Football League? Now we know in San Francisco, he had a lot of exotic runs, he had a dual-threat quarterback. But, he’s never had someone who had the talent of Justin Herbert, arm talent, in the pocket. And, he’s never had a sophisticated offense to go with any of the teams.
You can go back to coaching San Diego, when he was in college, all those Michigan teams. The system that he ran in college does not work in the National Football League. So, my concern is not only for Justin Herbert and his growth, but this is not a great marriage. Even though Harbaugh has proven himself as being a very good coach, he has not taken quarterbacks to the next level,” Carter said.
The HOF WR has clearly noticed a pattern in Harbaugh’s coaching style. While he acknowledges Harbaugh is a good coach, he also recognizes that he holds his QBs back while relying on his run-game to succeed.
Carter Joins Another HOF Player in Chargers Criticism
Carter isn’t the only NFL HOF player to criticize Harbaugh and the Chargers. Just days earlier, Rob Gronkowski vented his own frustrations over the scheme Herbert is currently operating.
Carter and Gronkowski may be speaking out in defense of Herbert. But, the numbers speak for themselves. The Chargers have been undoubtedly bad. They’re one of just three teams who remain winless. They join the Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans as the only NFL teams still searching for their first win this season.
Herbert’s numbers have been bad, and every last one is sitting below his career averages. Through five games, Herbert has completed just 59.4% of his passes. He’s averaging just 187-4 yards passing per game, and he’s thrown just five touchdowns to seven interceptions.
His seven INTs are tied for the most in the league. And his 937 total passing yards ranks twenty-third. And his completion-percentage ranks thirty-sixth. This is a QB who won the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2020. And has finished top-10 in MVP voting in two of his six full seasons in the league. The drop off is confounding.
The 1992 Chargers still stand as the only team in NFL history to make the playoffs following an 0-4 start. And no team has ever come back from 0-5. So, the uphill climb is real for Herbert and the Chargers, no matter who you decide to blame.
Cris Carter Makes Scathing Jim Harbaugh-Justin Herbert Remarks