Justin Herbert wakes up Chargers’ offense with his arm and legs to defeat Saints
The crowd gasped. Justin Herbert yelled.
The sight of the Chargers’ quarterback absorbing a bone-shaking hit while scrambling made fans at SoFi Stadium hold their breath and nearby teammates rush to his aid, but Herbert popped right back up to his feet, extended the ball in his right hand and shouted as he emphatically signaled first down.
Herbert used both his arm and his legs to guide the Chargers in the right direction Sunday in a 26-8 win over the New Orleans Saints.
The quarterback threw for 279 yards and two touchdowns to Ladd McConkey and rushed for 49 more yards, including a career-high 38-yard run in the second quarter that seemed to set the tone for an offense still struggling to find steady footing.
“It’s like being around greatness every day,” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said of Herbert.
Check out the game summary from the Chargers’ win Sunday.
After failing to score a touchdown last Monday against the Arizona Cardinals, the Chargers stumbled early by failing to score on their first three drives. An errant snap on a punt gifted the struggling Saints, who have lost six consecutive games, a two-point lead off a safety in the first quarter.
The Chargers had minus-two yards of offense before Herbert dropped back to pass with 2:37 remaining in the first quarter. He scanned the field for open receivers and tucked the ball in his right arm as he ran around the right side of the line.
He outflanked Saints defensive lineman Khalen Saunders, blew by linebacker Willie Gay Jr. and lowered his shoulder as Saints safety Tyronn Mathieu launched the quarterback out of bounds.
Herbert spun onto his back as he slammed to the turf. Undeterred, Herbert bounced back up, stared downfield and yelled.
“We all know he can run,” offensive lineman Bradley Bozeman said, “but not everybody respects it. So it’s good to see.”
Teammates carried on Herbert’s competitive mentality. Safeties Alohi Gilman and Derwin James Jr. were nearby on the sideline where Herbert was pushed out of bounds and they leaped toward the quarterback to pump him up for his effort.
The energy continued for the defense that held the Saints (2-6) out of the end zone.
Running back J.K. Dobbins shoved off four would-be tacklers, including 324-pound defensive tackle Khalen Saunders, on a tough run to finish the third quarter that was “the hardest [13]-yard run, I think I’ve ever seen a guy make,” Harbaugh said.
Dobbins finished with 57 yards rushing on 17 carries and a second-quarter touchdown that helped the Chargers go into halftime with a 9-5 lead.
McConkey extended the lead in the second half with contested catches on both of his touchdowns.
In the fourth quarter, the second-round pick out of Georgia jumped, turned in the air and tapped his toes near the sideline of the end zone before Saints safety Ugo Amadi had any time to turn his head and see Herbert slingshot a pass while rolling left.
“You want to be at your best for him,” McConkey said of Herbert. “He’s battled through injuries at the beginning of the year, still out there so we just want to give our all for him because he’s giving his all for us.”
Herbert looked to be well past the high-ankle sprain he suffered in Week 2 when he sprinted down the field to catch up with McConkey on the rookie’s third-quarter 60-yard touchdown catch.
Showing his deep-threat ability to go with short routes over the middle that he excelled at early in the season, McConkey had the first 100-yard receiving game of his career. With 111 yards and those two touchdowns on six catches, McConkey is the first Chargers rookie to record a 100-yard receiving game since Keenan Allen in 2013.
Coach Jim Harbaugh sometimes shares expressions that have his Chargers raising eyebrows and seeking explanations, but his words of wisdom change perspectives.
“For him to be able to line up anywhere inside, outside, we got a true ballplayer on our hands,” Herbert said.
The Chargers scored a touchdown in the second half for the first time since Week 1. The second-half struggles were a major concern for an offense that Herbert said this week still was finding its identity.
“It’s all about finding a way to win, whether that’s through the air or on the ground,” Herbert said. “I thought we did a great job of weathering the storm, fighting, staying patient and making sure that we were smart with the ball.”
Not everything Herbert did was smart. He admitted that when he rewatches the film of his career-long rush this week, he likely will decide it would have been better to slide or go out of bounds.
“But if it wakes up the team,” Herbert said, “I’ll do anything for it.”
Go beyond the scoreboard
Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
