Denver Broncos vs LA Chargers 5 questions: How has Justin Herbert looked?

The Denver Broncos are coming off one of the best wins in a long time.

The Broncos (3-2) are on a three-game winning streak and can improve to 2-0 in the AFC West. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Chargers (2-2) are coming off their bye and head to Denver with a new head coach Jim Harbaugh and a new culture.

We go “behind enemy lines” to get a feel for the Chargers heading Sunday’s game with Michael Peterson from Bolts from the Blue to preview Sunday’s game.

MHR: How is the Jim Harbaugh tenure fairing through the four games? What has he done to put the franchise on the right track? And what more can he do?

Michael: I believe the biggest thing Jim Harbaugh has done since taking the helm of the Chargers is changing the culture throughout the team. It’s something you can legitimately feel when listening or watching anything involving the team. Everyone truly seems to be on the same page from top to bottom. The way the team won their first two games was exactly the vision we all expected to see. Unfortunately, injuries hit the team at important positions and they dropped the past two games by close decisions. But that plays into the thing I wish he could fix and/or do more for.

The Chargers have always been a very injured team, but that’s not just it. The guys who get injured are always at positions that drastically affect the performance of the entire team. Whether it be the team’s top receivers, their edge rushers, or their best offensive linemen, it’s always at a position that usually makes the difference between a bad team and a successful one. Harbaugh brought strength coach Ben Herbert with him from Michigan, and the dream was that he would finally make the injury bug go away. Unfortunately, that just hasn’t been the case thus far in 2024.

MHR: What is the Chargers defense doing to be so tough? And is this early success sustainable?

Michael: Honestly, similar to what I touched on above, it really is that they’re all playing together and on the same page. Those defenses under Brandon Staley seemed to be so disconnected. Broken plays and numerous missed tackles told the tale of those units. Now? This group is playing some really, really good team-oriented defense. The pass rush may not be getting home as much as the Broncos, but it’s causing enough havoc that opposing quarterbacks are throwing picks.

At the second level, second-year linebacker Daiyan Henley is breaking out before our eyes as a sideline-to-sideline defender who has been tight in coverage. In the secondary, free agent-signing Kristian Fulton has not only been one of the best cornerbacks in football this year but also one of the most improved players overall.

As far as how sustainable it is? Yeah, I’d say it’s been pretty sustainable. The Chargers have been doing this without Joey Bosa for most of three games and without Derwin James and Alohi Gilman for one game apiece. I would honestly say that this unit is playing so synergistically that their results have been better than the sum of their parts if that makes sense.

MHR: How has Justin Herbert looked in his first four games? What he is doing well? Where does he need to improve?

Michael: Justin Herbert has been fairly solid this year so far. Outside of one bad interception he threw against the Panthers, he’s been about as good as expected, given his circumstances. I’ve always believed that Herbert is at his best when he’s allowed to sling it all over the yard. It’s almost as if he gets better after building momentum with each new throw. However, Herbert’s basically been bottled up this year by his team’s own offensive philosophy. They want to run, run, and run the ball some more while mixing in the pass here and there to keep drives extended. But at the end of the day, this is a running team. The Chargers’ receivers are not talented enough to let the passing game do much carrying right now and the way Greg Roman calls games makes that even more apparent.

Herbert’s currently on pace to set a career-low in interceptions. He’s always been safe with the football and has one of the lowest turnover-worthy throw rates in the NFL since he was drafted. He’s also doing one hell of a job at avoiding sacks in the pocket. He’s so dang big that defenders have to work overtime to stop him from trying to attempt a pass before being brought down.

As far as where he needs to improve, that’s a tough one. Honestly, I guess I have to say just simply being better at protecting yourself. Ending last year with an injury and then starting this year with another one is a rough situation for a team that’s trying to compete in a year where many don’t have high expectations for them.

MHR: What is your best bet for Sunday’s game? And what do you think of the current spread?

Michael: I’m actually quite surprised the Chargers three-point favorites on the road. The Chargers offense hasn’t faired well at all into other elite defenses, and I don’t see them looking great this week, even with both starting tackles back. If I was a betting man, I’d probably slam Herbert for under 181 passing yards. He has yet to cross that mark in four games this season, and I doubt he does it against one of the best pass defenses in the NFL.

MHR: What are your expectations and predictions for Sunday’s game?

Michael: My prediction is that the Chargers will keep this game close and competitive similar to their past two against the Steelers and Chiefs. However, I just can’t see the offense consistently moving the ball enough to give the defense the breaks they deserve. In each loss, that unit becomes far too gassed, and it shows in the fourth quarter when they can’t finish as strong as you normally would want to see from your team. The Chargers also have been horrendous at scoring points in the fourth quarter, so that stark contrast in time spent on the field between the two is felt even more.

In the end, I believe the Broncos win a close one 16-13.