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His right arm is unquestionably superb, but does Justin Herbert have two left feet?
NFL linebacker-turned-anayst Tedy Bruschi pondered as much this week in breaking down why the relationship between the Chargers’ quarterback and offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel has yet to click.
“I want to know if Justin Herbert can dance,” the impassioned Bruschi said on ESPN. “Really, like dance on a dance floor. Does he have rhythm?”
Because, Bruschi said, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa seemed much more attuned to McDaniel’s offense when the two teamed up for the Miami Dolphins.
Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel blames himself for the problems the team is experiencing on offense, but is confident they can be fixed.
“When Tua ran this offense, he was dancing,” Bruschi continued. “All the fakes, all the rhythmic, on time, left-handed. I mean, you would watch Tua and it was like boom, boom, boom, boom, gone [throwing an imaginary football]. He was dancing back there in the pocket. It was smoke and mirrors. That, at its best, is what this system is.
“And you’ve got a cyborg back there [in Herbert], a quarterback who can do everything under the sun, and now he has to learn to dance? ‘No, man, I don’t dance. I play football.’ So there’s just a little bit of conflict going on.”
The Chargers are 0-3 and Herbert has yet to hit his stride heading into Sunday’s game at Seattle. He has three touchdowns, four interceptions and a ho-hum passer rating of 73.4 after never finishing a season with a rating lower than 93.2. Granted, it’s early and there’s plenty of time for him to course correct, and his receivers have had several key bobbles and drops. But the schedule doesn’t get any easier soon for the Chargers, whose next games are against Denver, Kansas City, the Rams, Houston and Baltimore.
In short, the Chargers had better learn to navigate that dance floor. The night is not so young anymore.
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Key injuries
Chargers: G Kayode Awosika (fibula) out; TE Charlie Kolar (forearm) out; WR Brenen Thompson (quadriceps) out; DT Dalvin Tomlinson (hamstring) out; CB Donte Jackson (concussion) questionable; S Derwin James Jr. (hamstring) questionable; QB Trey Lance (groin) questionable; WR Ladd McConkey (foot) questionable; S Elijah Molden (hamstring) questionable.
Seahawks: RB Zach Charbonnet (knee) out; RB Jadarian Price (chest) out; S Ty Okada (hamstring) questionable; LB Chazz Surratt (calf) questionable.
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How to watch Chargers vs. Seahawks
The Chargers and Seattle Seahawks will play Sunday at 1:25 p.m. at Lumen Field in Seattle. The game will be shown in Southern California on CBS and Paramount+. It will be available nationally via a subscription to NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV. In Southern California, fans can listen to the game on 640 AM and 103.9 FM (Español).
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Betting odds and lines for Chargers vs. Seahawks
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Who will win Chargers vs. Seahawks?
Not great for the Chargers that the Seahawks are coming off an embarrassing loss at Washington. Seattle should be hyper-focused. Still, the Chargers can play with anyone when they’re on their game, so an upset is entirely plausible. Tough opponent, loud place, difficult stretch.
Sam Farmer’s pick: Seahawks 28, Chargers 17
