As the Chargers reimagining continues, one of the ideas of the team’s new regime is to get more out of Justin Herbert by asking less of Justin Herbert.
Since his NFL debut in September 2020, the quarterback and his powerful right arm have powered the Chargers offensively.
First-year head coach Jim Harbaugh and his staff are now looking to provide Herbert with a running game that would give the Chargers their most complete offense in years.
“Not everyone has to perform like Peyton Manning did to win football games,” said Andy Bischoff, Harbaugh’s run-game coordinator and tight ends coach. “Can [Herbert] do that? I mean, the man is brilliant. … This is a man of rare intelligence.
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But should we really burden him so heavily with every defeat in our football system? The answer is no.’ How do you do that? You have a balanced attack that brings out the greatest strengths in everyone.”
Herbert has had a great start to his pro career, setting numerous franchise and league records. He was the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2020 and made his first Pro Bowl the following season.
But the Chargers are just 30-32 in his regular-season start, with Harbaugh already the third head coach Herbert has played under. Herbert also lost his only playoff game.
Providing Herbert with stronger ground support has been one of the resounding and oft-repeated themes since Harbaugh was formally introduced in early February.
“Overall, he embraces everything we do,” Bischoff said of Herbert. “I think he feels a new perspective focused on providing the best offense he has played in.”
In Herbert’s four seasons, the Chargers have finished 18th, 21st, 30th and 25th in the league in rushing yards. The team, which is quite famous, has struggled with short-yardage situations in recent years.
Since Harbaugh’s arrival, there has been a strong emphasis on becoming more physical. During his first media session, offensive coordinator Greg Roman marveled at what Herbert could look like armed with a ground attack.
The Chargers let go of Austin Ekeler, a smaller and more elusive back, in free agency and replaced him with Gus Edwards, a power threat who general manager Joe Hortiz labeled “a finisher.”
‘We want to protect him [Herbert] so he can be at his best,” Bischoff said. “We want to provide a run game that can give us balance. And we want to be an offense that is different and unique so that it can function at its best.”
Due to salary cap restrictions, the Chargers were unable to invest heavily in free agency. But one of their first targets landed was Will Dissly, a tight end with just 127 receptions in six seasons.
However, Dissly is recognized as one of the NFL’s premier run blockers at the position. The Chargers guaranteed him $10 million over two years, their largest financial commitment of the offseason.
After trading Keenan Allen and releasing Mike Williams, this is a team in dire need of wide receiver help. Still, it remains a real possibility that the Chargers draft an offensive lineman with their first pick later this month.
“This offense and this building is an O-line-centric space,” Bischoff said. “Whatever it was in the past, I don’t know. I haven’t lived here. I’ve been here for five weeks, but I can tell you this: This will be an O-line-centric building.
“When it comes to our strength program, it is built around the O-line. Everyone else falls in line. Some people don’t appreciate offensive linemen; we do. This will be reflected in the way we approach everything.”
Yes, this promises to be a departure for the Chargers, who before Herbert’s emergence were led for 14 years by Philip Rivers, another quarterback known for his ability to swing the football.
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During meetings Monday, Bischoff said Roman used the word “epic” to describe the offense the Chargers coaches are aiming for. He said Roman even defined the word for the players.
“Why not create something different than what has ever been done?” Bischoff said. “No matter how much success we’ve had in different places and with different things, none of that matters. All that matters is the now and creating it here.”
When asked what “epic” might look like on the field, the coach specifically mentioned high point totals and low turnover numbers. He said it is of little importance whether production takes place by air or on the ground.
Twice he referred to players being ‘smart, tough and reliable’. Later he added a fourth quality: ‘cruel’.
“You want numbers that have never been seen before,” Bischoff said. “If it looks good, it’s a beautiful thing.”
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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.