Los Angeles Chargers: Studs and duds from Week 4 vs. Buccaneers
Stud: Justin Herbert
Justin Herbert didn’t get much buzz heading into the season, but a lot of that is because it didn’t seem like he’d be starting any time soon. People chalked that up to that he wasn’t going to be any good, but the former Oregon quarterback has proven us all wrong so far in his three starts for the Chargers.
Herbert looked good once again, going 20-of-24 for 294 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception and making a few throws that looked like veteran quarterback throws. One such throw came in the first quarter when Herbert connected with wide receiver Tyron Johnson, who had just been called up from the practice squad, on a 53-yard bomb down the field.
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He also had a 72-yard strike to Jalen Guyton that gave the Bolts the lead midway through the fourth quarter. Neither of those throws looked like they were made by a rookie quarterback and Herbert is wowing early on. What’s even more impressive is WHO he’s throwing these passes to, as Johnson, Guyton, and Donald Parham aren’t exactly huge names. It shows that Herbert is special and could be the next big thing for the Chargers.
The interception at the end of the game was bad, but Herbert still looked really good for the rest of the game.
Dud: Joshua Kelley
Joshua Kelley has been a nice surprise for the Chargers, but this game wasn’t one of his finer moments. He was thrust into the starting role when Austin Ekeler went down with an injury and didn’t have much to show for it, rushing for just seven yards on nine carries and also not making the same impact in the receiving game that Ekeler does.
The biggest reason why Kelley falls into the dud category, however, is that he coughed up a fumble at the end of the first half deep in LA’s own territory. Tampa Bay recovered and was able to put the ball into the end zone to get within a touchdown right before the half.
This fumble by Kelley gave the Bucs life when they looked buried before and with Kelley having fumbled the previous week, it’s starting to look like the rookie might have some issues with holding onto the football.