Chargers News: Justin Herbert Ranked in Top Half of Deep Ball Performance in 2022
The Los Angeles Chargers have one of the most explosive and versatile arms, Justin Hebert. Herbert will be entering his fourth season as the starting quarterback for the Bolts, and it's been a pleasure to watch him lead the team.
Over the years, we've seen him grow on and off the field while blowing us away with highlight after highlight in his short career. Herbert has a cannon of an arm, and although we've seen him make throws that seem routine, he always finds a way to blow our minds and put fans in disbelief.
Although Herbert was great last season, as far as the numbers go, you could see he wasn't the same compared to years past. It could've been the injuries, the play calling, or a mixture of both. He was still among the best in major categories except for the deep ball. Pro Football Focus (PFF) ranked the 32 NFL QBs based on deep passing performance in 2022, and Herbert was ranked in the top half of the list at 14.
14. JUSTIN HERBERT, LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
Deep Passing Yards: 785 (12th)
Deep Passing TDs: 7 (T-9th)
Passer Rating: 95.5 (14th)
Deep Comp%: 35.3% (T-22nd)
Herbert aired it out in 2022 (68 attempts, 7th), and he did so while taking care of the football (2.9% turnover-worthy play rate (fourth-best). The offense combined for 31 touchdowns and first downs from deep. The
(91.5) addition should help to open things up for the Chargers this season. If
(92.2) and
(90.6) stay healthy, the Chargers could have one of the best downfield attacks in 2023.
Herbert has one of the best deep ball arms in the game, but the numbers from last season above don't reflect that. For the arm he has, Herbert should be among the top of many of these categories; nonetheless, that was last season.
Coming into 2023, the offense will be different. For starters, LA has a new offensive coordinator that will surely put LA's offense on the map. Secondly, they bolstered their wide receiver room with the addition of their 21t overall pick and deep ball threat, Quentin Johnston. Johnston was among the best deep ball threats in college, and he will carry that momentum with the Botls in the NFL. Add a healthy Keenan Allen and Mike Williams to the list, as they will be a scary sight. Third, Herbert will be healthy. He suffered lingering injuries in 2022 and even had surgery after the season in January to repair the torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder.
We can't wait to see what Herbert looks like in-game-like speed, as we expect a much-improved quarterback.
