When the Los Angeles Chargers face the Pittsburgh Steelers today, there’s plenty at stake. Both teams enter the week with a 2-0 record. And both teams are dealing with injuries at some key positions. You could argue that the Steelers are missing their starting quarterback, but Justin Fields has performed well in the first two weeks with Russell Wilson sidelined by a calf injury. For the Chargers, it’s a different story. Justin Herbert, the Bolts’ clear starter, is dealing with a high ankle sprain sustained last week against the Carolina Panthers.
While Justin Herbert has not been active in team practice this past week, both he and the team have indicated that he has every intention of playing on Sunday if he can. No one doubts Herbert’s toughness. Like another quarterback known well in Pittsburgh, Herbert has played through injury before. It’s understandable why Coach Jim Harbaugh would want Herbert to play. The question is whether that is the smart move.
Historically, quarterbacks have struggled when trying to play with a high ankle sprain. The missed practice, loss of mobility, and altered footwork mechanics combine for an unreliable passing game. Logically, it will be easier for Herbert to play from shotgun rather than dropping back from under center. Even that may not alleviate the disadvantage his ankle injury causes.
Case 1: Ben Roethlisberger
Roethlisberger sustained a high sprain in the week 14 game against the Cleveland Browns:
He was relieved by backup Charlie Batch but was able to return in the second half and pulled off a 14-3 win. With 11 days from that Thursday night game until the Monday Night Football matchup in San Francisco, both Roethlisberger and the team worked to get him ready to play. He took the field with a comically large wrap on his left ankle. The game was not as funny. Roethlisberger looked stiff in the pocket, even when handing the ball off to his running backs, and had to hop out of the way at times to avoid being trampled by his offensive linemen. The Steelers suffered a 20-3 loss, in part due to the three interceptions that Roethlisberger threw.
To be fair, he did not look awful from shotgun making short passes, as Mike Wallace capitalized with serious YAC:
Dropping back, however, made for a difficult passing effort:
His attempts at longer passes from shotgun, where he held the ball, were undermined by his inability to scramble and move in the pocket, as seen in the second and third interceptions:
It was a brutal game to watch, as most Steelers fans will recall. And while backup quarterback Charlie Batch might not have fared much better against a very stout 49ers defense, he probably should have been the starter that week.
Case 2: Trevor Lawrence
So you argue that Justin Herbert is young, fast, and mobile and Big Ben is not a good analogy? OK, here’s a younger quarterback with better hair who is closer to what Herbert offers. The Jaguars quarterback sustained a high ankle sprain against the Cincinnati Bengals in an overtime loss. He played the following week and threw three touchdowns in the loss to the Cleveland Browns. He also completed three passes to the Browns defense.
While Lawrence looked far more mobile and comfortable in the pocket compared to Roethlisberger, he seemed to be similarly hampered when it came to accuracy. Even with play action, Lawrence was not good under center when passing:
His other two interceptions came from shotgun:
There are more examples of NFL quarterbacks playing through high ankle sprains. For the most part, they don’t play well enough to get a win. Even the great Peyton Manning, who was never mobile anyway, proved this to be true. Playing for the Denver Broncos with a high ankle sprain against his former team, Manning fumbled the ball near his own end zone, giving the Indianapolis Colts a safety. And while he threw three touchdowns in the loss, he also threw an interception.
Justin Herbert is likely to get the start for the Chargers. And that may be better news for the Steelers’ defense than the Chargers’ offense.
