Getty Keenan Allen hugs Justin Herbert
Justin Herbert is the reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, one of the most talented young quarterbacks in football. He has thrown for 1,994 yards and 16 touchdowns through seven games for a 94.8 QB rating.
The Los Angeles Chargers starter has thrown three interceptions in back-to-back losses. It’s jut a blip on the radar. He’s still considered an elite signal-caller but those two outings have proven Herbert is human. He can be rattled with the right coverages, a trend that Philadelphia Eagles Pro Bowler Darius Slay hopes he can continue in Week 9.
“It’s the NFL. Ain’t nobody perfect,” Slay said. “I can just tell he’s playing great ball but, shoot, hope he continues to keep struggling.”
Slay prefaced those remarks with a strong endorsement of Herbert’s skills. It’s clear he has a ton of respect for the 23-year-old.
“He’s great, strong arm,” Slay said. “He’s got a gunslinger, he slinging’ that thing. They got a great receiving corps, got guys that can do all of it, talented group. Probably one of the best groups we played this year. Shoot, we looking forward to the challenge.”
.@bigplay24slay talks giving the scoop and score ball to @2live_AM
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Looking to Make Herbert ‘Uncomfortable’
The Eagles’ defense is looking to make Herbert feel “uncomfortable” in the pocket, according to defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon. That was the biggest takeaway from Gannon’s conversations with offensive coordinator Shane Steichen. Remember, the Chargers quarterback mentored under Steichen last year in Los Angeles where he served as offensive coordinator. Gannon explained what the two talked about:
Stuff like, ‘Hey, this is what Herbert does really well and this is what we were trying to improve with him. This is the looks that he likes. This is how he wants to play.’ Stuff like that.
Just with any quarterback, what is he comfortable doing, and what can we try to do to make him uncomfortable? That would be the biggest thing for the quarterback.
Defensive Coordinator Jonathan Gannon on defending the Chargers offense
Eagles Game-Planning for Keenan Allen
Head coach Nick Sirianni coached Keenan Allen for five seasons when he was a receivers coach for the Chargers. He constantly heaps praise on the four-time Pro Bowler and includes his highlights on “teach tapes.” Sirianni maintains a strong relationship with Allen and plans to give him a hug prior to kickoff in Week 9.
“He’s still on my teach tapes of when we’re trying to teach guys, ‘Hey, look how Keenan does this on this one’,” Sirianni said. “And when you have a good player like that that you’re able to teach other guys from, that’s a good thing because you’re bringing them to stage one of it, like, ‘Hey, this is how we kind of talk through this.’ So, he’s going to forever be on my teach tapes.”
Allen has 45 grabs for 496 yards and two touchdowns for Los Angeles. His 69 targets rank 12th in among all eligible pass-catchers, including tight ends. Sirianni has never faced Allen before as the enemy.
“The fundamentals that you see from Keenan, are a reflection of how I’m obsessed with fundamentals and that’s what I hope you take from that with his game,” Sirianni said. “Now, I hope his game is quiet on Sunday.”