More often than not, Justin Herbert has shined under the lights in prime time. However, it was not his night in the Chargers’ loss to the Cowboys on Monday.
Herbert has been lauded for his ability to make dazzling throws, but he missed a few, including two to Keenan Allen, that would’ve put Los Angeles in a good position.
The first came right before the half when Herbert misfired to a wide-open Allen down the left sideline. He airmailed it and the ball ended up going out of bounds. A completion would’ve put them in field goal range to tie the game at 10 apiece.
The second missed opportunity came near the start of the fourth quarter. Allen ran a silky smooth out-and-up that put Cowboys cornerback Daron Bland on skates. It resulted in Herbert overthrowing Allen. Had he completed the pass, Allen would’ve likely been in the end zone.
“Keenan ran two great routes and that’s on me as a quarterback,” Herbert said. “We had those explosive opportunities. We have to capitalize on those. That’s on me as a quarterback.”
Keenan Allen had a nasty double-move and Justin Herbert just missed him 😱 #DALvsLAC pic.twitter.com/M1CbkSdAbr
— ESPN (@espn) October 17, 2023
Herbert finished with 22-of-37 passing for 227 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. His passer rating was 84.0, his second-lowest mark of the season.
Dallas had a 47.6% pressure rate on Herbert, the highest against Herbert this season. It definitely factored into how he played, as Herbert looked uncomfortable and forced many throws, including his interception to Cowboys cornerback Stephon Gilmore that sealed the game.
“I missed a couple receivers, threw some bad passes,” Herbert said. “A lot left out there … so there’s a lot to work on and improve on.”
