Chargers 'Activating' Justin Herbert's Mobility as Rib Injury Improves

As Justin Herbert gets healthier, his mobility in the pocket has returned.

Author:
Nicholas Cothrel
Publish date:
Nov 8, 2022 1:27 PM EST

In this story:

Justin Herbert ran for just three yards on one attempt Sunday against the Falcons. But the box score doesn't paint an accurate picture of just how much Herbert's mobility played a part in the outcome of the Week 9 game.

After suffering a hit to his midsection on Sept. 15 that led to a fractured rib cartilage, Herbert's pocket mobility and willingness to scramble had dissipated.

Now seven weeks removed from the injury, Herbert is getting back to his normal self.

“We felt like he was at a good enough point to start activating a little bit more of that and thought that it was an advantage for us to try to create more plays outside the pocket and we needed that," Chargers coach Brandon Staley said of Herbert's mobility. "I thought he was very good."

Heading into last week's game against the Falcons, Herbert had two weeks of rest as the Chargers received time off due to their bye week.

While Herbert's health has improved, rediscovering his knack for using his legs, the overall team's health still remains quite banged up. As a result of injury, the Chargers were without Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, their top two wide receivers, as the offense was forced to rely on less experienced players to ignite the passing attack.

"When your premium guys aren’t out there all the time, you’re going to have to use your legs to create some space and create some time for your guys and he played the game the way he needed to play it," Staley said of Herbert. "I was proud of him and he practiced well, and his teammates really just fought hard for him.”

As the Chargers were forced to rely on the depth of their receiver group, many of which began the year on the practice squad, Herbert's ability to buy time in the pocket changed the way Atlanta played him.

“You change the math when you can move your legs," Staley said. "Now, it’s 11-on-11. The way the game has changed, back 10, 15 years ago, it’s 10-on-11 the whole game. Now, with the mobility of all of these elite players, you truly can even out the game, from a math standpoint. It’s 11-on-11 and they have to account for the mobility of the quarterback."

At Herbert's current rate, he's on track to record fewer rushing attempts and fewer rushing yards this season than either of his previous two years in the NFL.

The only time Herbert took matters into his own hands and ran the ball on Sunday, he was hit awkwardly to the ground while being caught in the middle of sliding or dashing out of bounds.

“I don’t worry about Justin like that," Staley said of the play. "Sometimes, as a player, you can get caught in between of whether I should go head first out of bounds or if I want to slide. He does a very good job of protecting himself. ... That’s one of those where he was kind of in between, and that can happen. The more you experience, I think the better you get in that moment of indecision."

Without missing a game in playing through a painful rib injury that appears to have improved with each week, Herbert has guided the Chargers to a 5-3 record at the halfway point of the team's schedule.

Ideally, Herbert's legs will play a factor in the upcoming games as the Chargers face a difficult two-game stretch, traveling to San Francisco and hosting Kansas City in the next two weeks – both of which will be on Sunday Night Football.

The Chargers wide receiver situation could continue to mirror the personnel they had in Atlanta. It's possible they're still without Allen and Williams during the next two games. Allen re-aggravated his hamstring, suffering a setback during the bye week during rehab training and Williams has a high ankle sprain.

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