Quarterback Justin Herbert can lead the Chargers to their fourth win of the season on Sunday afternoon.
Why are so many positive he can do so?
For starters, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski recognizes what his team is going up against.
“Great size. Great skillset throwing the ball. Athletic,” Stefanski said. “I think he has a good command of what they are doing and what they are asking him to do. He is spreading the ball around to a bunch of their playmakers. He is playing at a really high level.”
After committing four turnovers in the first two games, including three in the red zone, Herbert has seven touchdowns and no turnovers the past two weeks against the Chiefs and Raiders, along with a 116.3 passer rating.
The Browns defense may prove to be Herbert’s biggest challenge yet. Cleveland is giving up just 250.3 yards per game, which ranks second in the NFL. Furthermore, the Browns are tied for first with 14 sacks and have allowed just a 58% completion rate to opposing quarterbacks.
“A whole lot of challenges,” Herbert said about Cleveland’s defense. “They have an incredible front seven, and some of the best pass rushers this league has ever seen. They’re really well-coached, they do a lot of good things on defense.”
The stingy defense will be challenging to compete against. However, Herbert is no stranger to thriving under pressure, as seen in his Rookie of the Year campaign last season, where he shattered multiple records behind arguably the league’s worst offensive line.
Now with a competent line, a slew of talented skill players, and an offensive system that he’s been playing well in, Herbert is capable of overcoming the obstacles and guiding Los Angeles to victory.
Although many underestimated Herbert’s abilities coming out of college, the former Oregon product has proved that he is not only the long-term solution for the Chargers but one of the top players at his position in this league for years to come.
It seems as though there is much more in store for the young signal-caller, but he has surpassed expectations. There is no doubt that with what he has accomplished thus far in the NFL, there are many exciting things to come from Herbert. But, for now, a win against the Browns will suffice.
