Justin Herbert, Jim Harbaugh react to Quentin Johnston's rough night for Chargers

Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston came up with critical drops against the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth quarter. The first drop in the sequence came on a 3rd and 6 where Johnston bobbled what could've been a 15-20 yard pickup after the catch. LA was forced to punt and end the drive.

On the Chargers' final touchdown drive, Johnston was targeted again almost right off the bat. He had two drops in a row on 1st and 2nd down. With 2:53 remaining in the 4th quarter, loud boos rained down at SoFi Stadium for the performance of the second-year wideout from TCU.

The Bengals game, while not as disastrous for Johnston, showed that he still has some weaknesses in playing through contact. That also showed up for him on an earlier go route in this game. While there have been strides made in his sophomore season, the lack of bonafide route running, a general contact aversion, and drops still plague Johnston.

Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert had varying reactions to Quentin Johnston's drops in Chargers loss

Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh was asked about Johnston's drops after the game, admitting that Johnston could have been better without outright saying it.

"I think we all have some things we wish we played, coached better," Harbaugh said. "That's how I feel. That's my reaction."

When asked if his drops were "jarring", Harbaugh said he disagreed with that use of the word.

Chargers QB Justin Herbert actively leapt to his teammates' defense in his postgame media availability:

"I think that's the tough part about the NFL. He's a playmaker," Herbert explained. "He's done an incredible job all year. You never want to see that. Just like when I throw an interception or when I miss a throw, he's gonna come up to me and tell me, 'hey, it's the next play'. And that's the way it is. Everyone in that locker room is professionals. Q will do a great job. I can give him better placement, better balls. It's on all of us. It's not just on him, it's on me for the way I gotta deliver the ball. I gotta make sure we're all on the same page. He's an incredible player and I'm gonna keep throwing him the ball."

The Athletic's Daniel Popper asked if how much Johnston has improved gives Herbert confidence that he'll bounce back. Herbert's response:

"He's a fighter. You trust him. And I'm gonna keep throwing him the ball. That's what we did out there. Unfortunately, it didn't go our way tonight. But I know he's gonna be the first one in the building and he's gonna do everything the right way. He's a truly great teammate, great guy. And he's gonna go make some plays. He's got a lot of good football left in front of him."

Johnston will get a chance to shake off this week's performance against the Falcons next week as the Chargers head back on the road to Atlanta.