Chargers’ Justin Herbert’s teammates defend quarterback after another playoff dud

Justin Herbert has developed an unfortunate reputation. Over the last few years, the Los Angeles Chargers star has been labeled as a playoff “choker” by many. His performances in the playoffs certainly don’t help: Herbert’s four-interception game in the Wild Card game last season was particularly rough.

Herbert had a chance to change his image in this year’s Wild Card round against the New England Patriots. Unfortunately, things did not go his way. The Chargers quarterback did not throw an interception, but the offense was only able to muster three points the entire game. The result is another loss charged to Herbert’s name and more questions about the quarterback’s ceiling.

Despite Herbert’s dismal performance, his teammates were quick to defend him. Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen and safety Derwin James defended Herbert, saying that he was the reason the team was in the playoffs in the first place.

“If anything, he’s the reason we were in this position. Throughout the season, had those injuries,” Allen said, per Eric Smith of Chargers.com. “Doing what he does. Taking hits, getting back up, coming back, trying to go back to the next play, and keep us in the game.”

“Toughness. He was just trying to give us a chance,” James said. “Anytime I seen him, guys hitting him from the left, hitting him from the right and he kept battling. Nobody knows how hard it is back there when it’s like that. Credit to him for going out there and giving it his all, all season not just this game. All season. Got a lot of respect for 10, I know what type of player he is.”

To give credit where credit is due, Herbert was given a tough hand this season. Both of the Chargers’ starting tackles (Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater) suffered season-ending injuries early in the year. As a result, LA’s pass protection deteriorated throughout the year. Herbert himself suffered injuries in the regular season, but he was still able to lead the Chargers to the postseason despite taking 54 sacks this season.

Unfortunately, this loss and Herbert’s uninspiring performance will continue to fuel questions about his capabilities. For now, though, the Chargers will need to focus on getting healthy and getting proper protection for their star quarterback.

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