Schefter: No chance Bolts trade Herbert

Justin Herbert and the flailing Chargers skill position players have appeared almost comically confused about all the pre-snap motion OC Mike McDaniel uses. That came through in the team’s embarrassing Week 6 loss to the Chiefs when players were bumping into each other during pre-snap motion calls from Herbert. Head coach Jim Harbaugh acknowledged the team is considering narrowing the offensive playbook during their bye week. “Definitely looking at volume and where you can make it to where the players can understand,” Harbaugh said when asked about how Chargers players were adjusting to McDaniel’s complex offense. The Chargers have used pre-snap motion on 74 percent of their snaps, the fourth highest rate in the NFL. Last year they used motion on 56 percent of their snaps. Hopefully these adjustments lead to some production for the NFL’s worst offense.

Herbert’s hellish season continued unabated on Sunday against a Kansas City defense that swamped the beleaguered Bolts quarterback on seemingly every drop back. After throwing exactly one touchdown in each of his first five outings, Herbert didn’t have any against the Chiefs. He had a negative EPA per drop back and was 10 percent below his expected pass rate in the loss. Ladd McConkey was ruled out with a head injury in the first half, further complicating OC Mike McDaniel’s efforts to stop the bleeding for the LA offense. The team’s wideout injuries and the predictability of the offense means Herbert should be dropped in most one-QB fantasy formats ahead of the Chargers’ Week 7 bye week.

Herbert was without his top wideouts, his top offensive lineman, and the fact he was able to put up even this type of statline is somewhat impressive, if you squint very hard. The 28-year-old quarterback was constantly under pressure, and was at his best when he was able to escape the pocket and use his underrated wheels. That being said, he could have had more turnovers than this, and his interception was an inexcusable throw right into the hands of the Broncos defender. Even if Herbert gets his weapons back, fantasy managers should be looking elsewhere in Week 6 in standard leagues with a tough matchup against the Chiefs.

The injury, sustained during the Bolts’ Week 4 loss to the Seahawks, will cost Slater between four and six weeks, Rapoport said. It’s yet another massive blow for the struggling Chargers offense. Through Week 4 the Chargers rank 30th in ESPN’s pass blocking win rate and fifth in run blocking win rate. Justin Herbert’s weekly prospects take a hit with the oft-injured Slate sidelined, as do the prospects of LA’s pass catchers.

It really wasn’t this close. Herbert and Sam Darnold became the first quarterbacks since 1991 to throw interceptions on their first throws of their game. Things didn’t get less weird, nor less shaky for the now 0-4 Chargers. He threw both his picks to linebackers, and outside of a 26-yard scramble, there just wasn’t much there from a quarterback who had (much) loftier expectations coming into the year. His only touchdown was a flip to Kimani Vidal that left Los Angeles down two scores. There’s a lot of football left, but this is ugly. Herbert will try and get going in Week 5, but the Broncos make for a tough team to get that ship righted.

It’s hard to write these quotes without sounding “clicky,” but Harbaugh was forthright at his Monday press conference when asked about Herbert’s decision-making. “Be better. Be better,” Harbaugh said before attempting to soften the blow. “And that drives Justin, that drives me, that drives his position coach, that drives (OC Mike [McDaniel). I mean, drives us all.” Harbaugh also said the team could look to simplify McDaniel’s complex scheme. “As far as the scheme going forward, all options are open,” Harbaugh claimed. When asked what that might entail, the coach responded “run, pass, up the middle, motion, no motion.” Alrighty then. It’s shocking to hear a coach talk this frankly — especially Harbaugh about Herbert — but the situation really is that dire in Los Angeles. Herbert is in the crossfire, but it could be McDaniel who is on something of a hot seat with his play-calling. Sitting at 0-3, the Chargers face the unwelcome prospect of a “must win” Week 4 contest against defending Super Bowl champion Seattle, itself coming off a rough loss. We will be benching Herbert in fantasy for that one.

On one hand, Herbert was under constant pressure in this game behind a beat-up offensive line and was able to evade pressure regularly and extend plays. On the other hand, he really wasn’t able to get anything going down the field. His one touchdown “pass” was on a handoff where he essentially let go of the ball and Keaton Mitchell took the “forward pass” into the end zone on a jet sweep. Herbert’s interception was a terrible pass in the end zone when the Chargers were up 13-10 and looking to put the game away. The Bills also dropped two other potential interceptions. Herbert looks pretty firmly like a QB2 here, and it’s hard to get overly excited about playing him next week against the Seahawks.

The Chargers were an uncoordinated mess in this one. They committed loads of procedural penalties on offense, had several drops, and botched multiple handoffs or snaps. Their final penalty was holding in their own end zone, resulting in a safety. David Njoku handed Herbert’s first interception to a defender, but the second pick was all his fault. Herbert fired into a non-existent window on a deep shot and was easily intercepted by the Vegas secondary. Herbert also committed two fumbles, though both were recovered by the Chargers. Sitting at 0-2 with murderer’s row of opponents on deck, something has to change in a hurry for the Chargers. Herbert will shuffle into the QB2 ranks for his Week 3 date with the Bills.

Herbert shredded the Arizona secondary in the Bolts’ first drive of the game. From there he struggled to complete even routine passes and got nothing going downfield. Ladd McConkey’s exit from the ballgame in the third quarter all but ended Herbert’s production for the day. Herbert, to his credit, tried to push the ball downfield, averaging 10.8 intended air yards per attempt, the fourth highest mark of Week 1. The Cards’ time of possession domination limited play volume for LA, torpedoing fantasy prospects across the board. Hopefully for Herbert, the Chargers will have McConkey back for Week 2 against the Raiders. Herbert will be a borderline top-12 option.

McDaniel said the team has worked diligently on the quick passing game during offseason practices and training camp. McDaniel said he knows Herbert can excel on the “long developing plays” but wants to create more easy drop backs with schemes that “nullify the pass rush” and allow Herbert to get the ball out quickly to his pass catchers. This should lead to plenty of easy-button targets for Ladd McConkey and the team’s tight ends as Quentin Johnston continues operating as Herbert’s primary deep ball guy. Under McDaniel, the Chargers will likely be run-first with a far more efficient passing attack than they had under former OC Greg Roman.