Justin Herbert praised Commanders, but also revealed his game plan

When they take the field Sunday afternoon in Week 5 of the 2025 NFL season, the Washington Commanders and Los Angeles Chargers will be foes, pitted against each other in search of each team’s next win.

For the Commanders, they’ll be looking for their third win of the season, while the Chargers are looking for their fourth.

Respect from a Star QB

Despite the defensive struggles Washington has experienced early this season, when he took the podium this week to discuss the matchup, Los Angeles quarterback Justin Herbert had nothing but good things to say about the “really veteran group” that is “really well coached.”

Some might think Herbert is simply playing the good-guy card and not giving any bulletin board material when he also added that “Hardly are they ever out of position,” but he isn’t lying when he points out that the team has plenty of talented players who have big-game experiences.

Because of that factor, Herbert expects that he and the Chargers “have to be on our best effort,” to avoid their first losing streak of the year after starting 3-0 before falling last weekend to the New York Giants.

Dec 28, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) throws a touchdown pass to wide receiver Ladd McConkey (15) against the New England Patriots in the third quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Reading Between the Lines

Turning the lens back onto himself and his team, Herbert also said, "It's on us as an offense to go out and execute on third down and to limit turnovers and go score points in the red zone.”

Hitting those three areas specifically is no coincidence, as they are quite literally the areas of the game where matchups are won and lost. While Washington has held two opponents to few third-down conversions, it has allowed two others to convert 50 percent of their tries, leading to losses.

Meanwhile, defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr.’s unit has only one takeaway so far this season, a far cry from their ‘Ball is Life’ mantra and aim to hunt the football on every snap.

Of course, points speak for themselves as far as value, but getting into the red zone and taking advantage of opportunities is how you score them, making it a point still worth mentioning for the quarterback.

An Opportunity to Exploit?

Herbert will look to take advantage of some of the eye discipline and mental errors we’ve seen out of the Commanders’ defense so far, even if he won’t mention them publicly, but he will have to do it without at least two of his primary linemen, and a potential third who could miss the game still dealing with the aftereffects of a concussion suffered earlier this season.

Herbert said he has confidence in the backup linemen who will have to step up, but then again, what else is he supposed to say?

The quarterback was respectful, showing the signs of a true professional, but once the pads start popping on Sunday afternoon inside SoFi Stadium, all of that will go out the door, and both the Chargers and the Commanders will look to identify each other’s weaknesses and exploit them all the way to a key Week 5 victory.

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2025 season.

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