{"id":280702,"date":"2025-10-06T01:41:14","date_gmt":"2025-10-06T01:41:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/280702\/"},"modified":"2025-10-06T01:41:14","modified_gmt":"2025-10-06T01:41:14","slug":"same-old-chargers-the-one-thing-ruining-justin-herberts-mvp-case-l-a-s-hopes-of-deep-playoff-run","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/280702\/","title":{"rendered":"Same old Chargers? The one thing ruining Justin Herbert’s MVP case, L.A.’s hopes of deep playoff run"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Chargers<\/a>‘ vanishing act came in a hurry Sunday against the Commanders<\/a>. When the offense took the field for its opening drive of the second half, Los Angeles’ 10-0 lead had become a 17-10 deficit in 10 minutes of game time.<\/p>\n

The offensive line would be the next thing to go up in smoke. On first and 10, an unblocked Jordan Magee<\/a> came flying in on a blitz, and Justin Herbert<\/a> quite literally disappeared under a sea of white uniforms and burgundy helmets. It officially went down as a sack by Johnny Newton<\/a>, but any of the four Commanders creating a Herbert sandwich could have been credited.<\/p>\n

No matter. Herbert has bailed the Chargers out plenty of times before, and it looked like he would again, firing a dart to Quentin Johnston<\/a> for 23 yards. The only problem? Right tackle\u00a0Trey Pipkins<\/a> was called for holding. Instead of a second-and-19 conversion, the Chargers retreated into second and 28.<\/p>\n

And yet there was Herbert again, delivering a 31-yard rainbow to Keenan Allen<\/a> to somehow overcome adverse conditions again. The only problem? Stop me if you’ve heard this before: a flag, this time illegal formation on Pipkins for lining up in the backfield.<\/p>\n

“We’re good enough to overcome some [mistakes], but you need to minimize them,” Jim Harbaugh said. “That’s an area that we need to get better at.”<\/p>\n

And now, the Chargers’ perfect start — and status as NFL<\/a> darlings — has gone AWOL, too. The Chargers fell, 27-10<\/a>, to the Commanders on Sunday, and in what’s becoming a concerning trend, offensive line play doomed them again. Herbert took four sacks and has taken 16 on the season, tied for second-most in the NFL<\/a>. He was pressured on 38% of his dropbacks Sunday and has faced a 45% pressure rate over the past three weeks.<\/p>\n

The straw has broken the camel’s back … and maybe the Chargers’ status as contenders.<\/p>\n

Things began to go awry — as they seemingly so often do for the Chargers — in the most painful of ways. Just days after becoming the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history<\/a>\u00a0a few days into training camp, left tackle Rashawn Slater<\/a> suffered a season-ending torn patellar tendon<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Chargers cobbled things together by moving Joe Alt<\/a> from right tackle to left tackle, but Alt suffered a high ankle sprain in a Week 4 loss to the Giants<\/a>. On Sunday, Pipkins, the fill-in right tackle, and right guard Mekhi Becton<\/a>, signed this offseason to fortify the interior of the line, were both in and out of the lineup. Even breakout rookie running back Omarion Hampton<\/a>, handling a workhorse after Najee Harris<\/a>‘ season-ending Achilles tear earlier this season, left with an ankle injury<\/a>.<\/p>\n

When the offensive line wasn’t an issue, the Chargers operated reasonably efficiently: 5.2 yards per play, nine for 16 on third down and just two punts. Unfortunately, too many of the drives that didn’t end in punts didn’t end in points, either.<\/p>\n