At Oregon, quarterback Justin Herbert spent most of his college career in a shotgun formation using silent counts and claps of his hands ahead of the ball being snapped. Now, Herbert is being put an NFL offense that requires him to be vocal at the line of scrimmage.
During Tuesday’s episode of HBO’s Hard Knocks: Los Angeles, some of the growing pains were evident with Herbert going through the cadences.
There is a moment where Herbert is under center, and his snap count is soft. The next play is loud.
“Justin, so I am standing there watching you imagining what the defense could be thinking,” coach Anthony Lynn said. “I can tell the difference when it’s a run and a pass based on the way you talk.”
Herbert, the signal-caller who was touted to have a reserved personality, is slowly but surely getting caught up to the speed of the NFL and gaining confidence with the help of his coaches and teammates.
“Just listen to the rhythmic cadence of (Taylor’s snap count),” offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga said. “That first ‘Green 80.’ If he just flies through that ‘Green 80 Green Hut,’ there’s no timing there for linemen to get good jumps off the [expletive] ball. And as a quarterback you want us to get off the f—ing ball.”
While Herbert finds his groove, Tyrod Taylor will be forced to lead the offense in the meantime.
