Is Justin Herbert playing tonight vs Eagles in Week 9?
Justin Herbert has come back down to earth over his last two games. Herbert was an MVP candidate during the first five weeks of the season.
He led the Los Angeles Chargers to a 4-1 start and had a touchdown to interception ratio of 13 to three.
In the two games since that start, he's completed less than 60 percent of his passes. He has thrown three touchdowns and three interceptions.
But more importantly, the Chargers have lost both games, including being blown out by the Baltimore Ravens by 28 points. Herbert and the Chargers will look to right the ship in Week 9 against a 3-5 Philadelphia Eagles team.
Justin Herbert will play in Week 9 against the Eagles.
Justin Herbert is dealing with no injuries and is fully healthy entering Week 9. Herbert has stayed healthy despite his offensive line's recent struggles.
He's only been sacked 14 times, but his yards per attempt have plummeted in the last two weeks. His deep ball is his greatest asset.
But he hasn't had enough time the last two weeks to throw deep as he's dealt with more pressure from defenses.
Highest passer rating on 20+ yard throws:
🚀 Justin Herbert - 132.4
🚀 Josh Allen - 128.2
🚀 Matthew Stafford - 126.6 https://t.co/Sil8yRG7NL
If the offensive line can protect Herbert better, he will get back into the rhythm he had in the first five weeks. Herbert also needs his wide receivers to resolve their drop issues.
Entering last week, they dropped 13 passes.
Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are both talented enough players that this shouldn't be a season-long issue.
The Eagles don't present a difficult matchup on defense. They're incredibly streaky, and it's hard to predict on a weekly basis which defense will show up.
When Fletcher Cox and the Eagles front-seven are playing well, the entire Eagles defense receives a morale boost and plays better.
But when the front-seven struggles, the Eagles give up points in a hurry. Cornerback Darius Slay is the X-factor who is having a great season.
He will match up with Allen for most of the game and could cause the Chargers issues through the air.
The Chargers and Justin Herbert need to stop beating themselves to get back to winning.
Allen said it himself after their loss last week to the New England Patriots.
Chargers WR Keenan Allen: “Same thing every year. … We’re beating ourselves.”
The Chargers teams of old were snakebitten by poor clock management, drops, and missed field goals. This season, the Chargers looked to have moved on past those days.
They were making big plays when it mattered on third and fourth downs. They were better on those downs than first and second downs.
But drops and self-inflicted mistakes have piled up, and the Chargers have stumbled.
This week is a test to see if the Chargers have learned from their mistakes. Justin Herbert is one of the most talented players in the NFL.
He will turn things around, but he needs his offensive line and wide receivers to do the same.