What If....Justin Herbert Was in Washington?
What if…Justin Herbert?
After working my regular newspaper job at The Ledger (Lakeland, Florida) on Monday night, I turned on the Monday Night Football game at halftime with the Chargers leading the Saints 20-10.
Then I made a huge mistake that changed my night. I looked up the box score to see what had transpired in the first half.
Los Angeles Chargers' QB Justin Herbert had completed 9 of his 13 passes, and thrown three touchdowns with no interceptions!
Editors Note: Herbert finished 20/34, 264 yards, four touchdowns, no picks and a 122.7 rating in a overtime loss at New Orleans.
Immediately and yes, unfortunately my mind thought, 'Dwayne Haskins was our first-round draft choice last year, chosen by the owner and not Kyle Smith and the football staff.'
Not only that, but I thought about the Washington Football Team having the 2nd overall selection this year, choosing Chase Young while Herbert was available and wasn’t even chosen until the 6th overall pick!
If I say my next thought made me sick to my stomach, that would be an overstatement.
But my next thought did in fact frustrate me.
It suddenly ran across my mind, “Could Washington have traded from number 2 overall back to 6 overall and Herbert still been there for them?”
I know, I know, the season is only five weeks old, but when you have been following one team since 1969, sometimes your mind races away from the sad but true reality to better thoughts.
Speaking of Washington’s reality, the quarterback with the huge arm, who has disappointed and frustrated coaches this season, called in sick Sunday.
Perhaps Haskins really was ill; yet, with all that has transpired in the last week, will there be any NFL team executives that don't question this?
What followed at the stadium was Kyle Allen running for his life being injured and ushered to the injury tent.
Then Alex Smith had us all biting our nails, hoping under that vicious Rams defensive assault, he would not be again severely injured.
On Monday, I heard a few sports talk show hosts say they felt exactly like Elizabeth Smith did watching Alex being hit repeatedly.
Uh, no you didn’t feel like she felt, not at all.
Where we all watched a TV special of Alex Smith; Elizabeth actually lived that horror, the fear, the dread of hearing a doctor actually tell her she might consider having her husband’s leg amputated or the infection could cost him his life.
Sunday with each crunching hit, one can only imagine Elizabeth’s stomach must have been in knots, her heart in her throat, trying to keep her cool in front of their three small children.
No, I am not going to knee-jerk and say Kyle Smith and Ron Rivera should not have drafted Young.
It is entirely too premature to say such a thing, and I imagine it was too premature for me to also wonder if the organization could have traded down, selected Herbert and gained an additional high pick from the Chargers.
Hey, I thought it, what I can say?
But for the record, I already think the Chargers most likely felt they had no need to trade up, because all the reports had Herbert falling into their lap in the number six position.
When thinking about the Washington Football Team quarterback position, I do not feel any better.
The projected future starter (Haskins) is already in the coaches’ dog house.
Alex Smith (bless his heart) is adored because of his story, but did he look to you like he is capable of contributing much this season?
Kyle Allen? Who knows, we only know he had so many turnovers last season.
These questions combined with Monday night's performance and what we've seen so far out of the Chargers rookie keeps me asking myself -- “What if Justin Herbert was in Washington?”
Ivan Lambert is a lifelong die-hard Washington Football fan, raised in Berryville, Virginia. He is married and the father of two fine young men. He is currently a sports correspondent for The Ledger in Lakeland, Florida and can be found on Twitter @IvanLambert18
