Chargers Injury Report: How Finger Fracture Could Impact Justin Herbert Vs Cowboys
Entering the game against the Dallas Cowboys, the Los Angeles Chargers will be monitoring the finger of quarterback Justin Herbert. Herbert fractured it in their last game against the Las Vegas Raiders, and it has been a talking point since.
He hasn't taken a snap under center in practice, and he is expected to see more snaps from shotgun in the game. His ability to grip the football won't be an issue in all likelihood, but it's certainly something to watch.
“Herbert said after practice on Friday that he wasn’t concerned about LA’s ability to go under center on Monday night, but I’ll believe that when I see it. Expect a heavy dose of shotgun for Herbert, who showed in the late stages of the Raiders contest that the finger shouldn’t affect him too heavily. However, running the ball out of shotgun may cause some issues, even with Ekeler returning from an ankle injury.”
Getting Ekeler back will help things, but it won't solve everything. This defense of Dallas will try to put pressure all over Herbert, so quick passes may be his best bet in this matchup. The offense will need to scheme against things if his finger does act up.
The running game could be impacted due to this, and the Chargers can't afford to have that be the case. They need their rushing attack to be strong to set the tone for the offense.
“If the run game again can’t get going, it puts more pressure on Herbert to carry the load offensively through the finger issue. Even if it’s not affecting him severely, you’d prefer to ease some of the responsibility off his shoulders and ask him to make easy throws on time rather than Justin Herbert’s trademark throws to save drives. That requires the run game to get off to a good start, which will likely fall on the shoulders of Ekeler in his first game back from an ankle sprain.”
Getting the running game going against this Cowboys defense will be huge for the Chargers and an essential aspect of getting the win. It will open up the passing game for the Bolts and help keep them from being one-dimensional on offense.
The finger of Herbert could affect things in multiple ways and will be something to watch as the game goes on. He needs to be able to control the offense, but it could be tough if he is forced out of the shotgun consistently.
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