Justin Herbert is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, and with him, the Los Angeles Chargers always have a chance to win. However, against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he ended up not being available for most of the second half. An ankle injury bothered him all last week, and although he pushed through to play, he ultimately couldn’t finish the game.
“I did everything I could to go back in there,” Herbert said after the Steelers’ 20-10 win via the team’s YouTube channel. “Didn’t feel like I could move around or really push off of it, so that was the decision that was made in the tent.”
Head coach Jim Harbaugh revealed that it was his decision to keep Herbert out the rest of the game, which lines up with what the quarterback said after the Chargers suffered their first loss of the season. He’s a competitor, and in a close game against the Steelers, he wanted a chance to win the game. Unfortunately for the Chargers, keeping him out of the game was probably the right decision.
Herbert was having success against the Steelers up to that point too. Before he left in the middle of the third quarter, Herbert had completed 12-of-18 passes for 125 yards and one touchdown. That included a beautiful scoring shot to receiver Quentin Johnston on what looked like a busted coverage from the Steelers.
The outcome may have been different if Herbert hadn’t been injured. His backup, Taylor Heinicke, did not fare well against the Steelers defense. He did complete both of his pass attempts for 24 yards, but he also got sacked three times. The Chargers seemed to be forced to run the ball more, which is usually what they like to do anyway, but the Steelers had that basically shut down.
It’s unfortunate that the Steelers couldn’t get Herbert at his best. They want to prove that they’re the best defense in the NFL, and shutting Herbert down for a full game would have helped that narrative. They still put in a monster effort against the Chargers, so their point should be proven. The Steelers have several other talented quarterbacks left on the schedule, so they should get more chances to prove their greatness.
