LA Chargers: Grading Justin Herbert in win over Washington Football Team

The LA Chargers are off to a 1-0 start for the third straight season and for the first time in his career, Justin Herbert has a winning record as a starting quarterback. The Bolts defeated the Washington Football Team 20-16 in a gritty road game.

While the team only scored 20 points the offense was humming down the field. Some bad red zone luck and a horrible call by the officials kept the Chargers from scoring more points.

There was a terrible fumble call on what was obviously an incomplete pass and then the Bolts kneed the ball to drain the clock at the end of the game. There is a reality in which the Chargers have 14 more points in this game and win 34-16.

Regardless, a W is a W and it was great to see Justin Herbert back in action with a new coaching staff that is intentionally putting him in a position to succeed. So how did Herbert grade in his first game with Brandon Staley?

Justin Herbert's game grade in the LA Chargers win over the Washington Football Team: A

Justin Herbert was exceptional in this game. The game plan was specifically designed to get the ball into the hands of his weapons as quickly as possible and not let the Washington front seven get pressure on Herbert.

The offensive did great in getting Herbert protection and he made all of the throws that he needed to make. Herbert was putting the football in places where only the receivers could catch it and was dissecting the defense with a calm presence.

Herbert finished the game completing 31 of 47 passes for one touchdown, an interception and a fumble that was not a fumble. While he could have scored more touchdowns, it is impossible to give him lower than an A.

This game would have been an A+ if the Chargers were more clinical in the red zone and if Herbert did not throw that interception. There was a play in the red zone in which Herbert had Jalen Guyton open in the middle of the endzone and Herbert held on for slightly too long, resulting in a field goal.

All of the analysts that were predicting a Justin Herbert regression probably were not expecting a good game for Herbert against Washington to start the season. If he can do this well against this defense just imagine what he can do moving forward.

Next week the LA Chargers host the Dallas Cowboys, who have a terrible defense. Herbert is probably going to put up an A+ showing in that game.