At least Justin Herbert is self-aware?
After Saturday afternoon's Wild-Card Round loss, the Justin Herbert discourse has already kicked up again in full. For what feels like the 100th straight season, a statistically impressive year ended earlier than it probably should have, and Herbert's performance against what is, admittedly, a really good Texans defense, is squarely under the microscope.
It wasn't pretty. Herbert finished the game completing only 14 of his 32 pass attempts for only 242 yards – he also threw four interceptions and took four sacks, good for a 40.9 QB Rating. (You know it's bad when a stat line features that many 4s.)
It certainly didn't help his reputation as a quarterback who struggles to show up in big games. But to his credit, immediately after the game, Herbert wasted no words placing the Chargers' loss on himself.
Justin Herbert doesn't hold back about his struggles in Wild Card loss to Texans
"It's tough," Herbert said after the game. "I let my team down ... Gotta throw the ball away, throw it further-gotta do a better job of not putting the ball in harm's way ... Can't expect to win games when you turn over the ball like that."
On one hand, you love to see any player – but especially the QB who also happens to be a team captain – take accountability like that. Herbert's play wasn't the only reason why the Chargers got worked on Saturday afternoon, but it was a major one.
It's a low bar for silver linings, but at this point, Chargers fans will take whatever they can get. If "having a self-aware, accountable quarterback" is as good at it gets, so be it. (I know how bleak that sounds, I'm sorry.)
On the other hand, I imagine there's a fair amount of Chargers fans out there who are getting tired of good-faith attempts by Herbert to explain why they keep losing. He's advertised as a transcendent QB – especially now with QB guru Jim Harbaugh as his head coach – and yet this year turned out awfully similar to all the others.
Self-awareness only goes so far, and if any fanbase is dangerously close to having those limits tested, it's probably Chargers fans.