The Los Angeles Chargers will depend upon the superhuman play of quarterback Justin Herbert this weekend to have any chance of overcoming the second-seed New England Patriots.
Herbert has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL this year despite the sub-par play of his offensive line. Through 16 games, he amassed 3,727 passing yards on a 66.4% completion rate and collected 26 touchdowns to 13 interceptions.
Keep in mind that he accomplished this while playing with a broken hand since Week 13.
More importantly, the gamble that the Chargers made in resting their starters in Week 18, sacrificing seeding in favor of extra rest for their team, has now paid off. Herbert told the press on Wednesday that his injured hand benefited greatly from that decision:
"I would say that I was able to do most everything out there... It's just making sure I can grip on the ball and have two hands on it in the pocket. ... So I think that's been good."Justin Herbert
Los Angeles needs Herbert at full health to have a fighter's chance against New England. It seems as though things are trending in the right direction.
Justin Herbert is healthy, and that will be absolutely necessary even against a vulnerable Patriots defense
Even though the Chargers came out strong against the Las Vegas Raiders after their bye week, it seemed like their season might have ended on the spot when Herbert required surgery on his hand.
Herbert did not miss a game due to the injury until Week 18. But it was clear he was struggling to take snaps under center and was nursing the hand when he took big hits.
If Herbert is at full health against New England, his full arsenal may be unlocked yet again.
This season, Herbert amassed 498 yards and 34 first downs when he scrambled out of the pocket. The team had a 57.8% success rate on those plays.
Moreover, the Chargers' offense will need access to their full playbook in order to keep pace with the Patriots. Being able to have Herbert take snaps both under center and in the shotgun opens up a much wider variety of plays for offensive coordinator Greg Roman.
There's no way of truly knowing how much pain Herbert has been in these past few weeks. However, maximizing his health going into the playoffs has always been the ultimate goal.
It appears that the team has accomplished that, and it could make all the difference.