As the Los Angeles Chargers fell to 4-3 with a brutal defeat at the hands of the red-hot Indianapolis Colts, Justin Herbert's two interceptions ultimately kept the team out of the game entirely.
Herbert, who was excellent at keeping the ball in his team's possession last season, has already thrown six interceptions this year, and, given the sub-par play of the team's defense, this will need to quickly come to a stop if the team wants a chance of making a playoff push.
Sacrificing drives and giving excellent field position to the opposing team is never a recipe for success, and Los Angeles is in extra peril given their particular weaknesses this season.
Justin Herbert's rising interception tally could signify serious trouble for the Chargers
Throughout the team's seven games this season, Herbert has looked brilliant in flashes, evading pressure and making multiple dazzling plays with the game on the line, including passes that led directly to wins against the Denver Broncos and the Miami Dolphins.
Yet, at the same time, he has struggled to protect the ball, and, while not all of his six interceptions have been his fault, there have been enough mistakes to definitively say that he is not playing at the level he was last season.
Against Indianapolis, his two interceptions came from a batted ball at the line of scrimmage, which he invited by hesitating to throw, and an excellent pick by Nick Cross, which he caused by throwing behind his receiver in the red zone.
Last season, as Herbert amassed 3,870 yards and 23 touchdowns, he threw only three interceptions across the course of the whole year. With this number having already been doubled not even halfway through this season, the Chargers could have trouble overcoming this deficit.
With as much hype as their defense had around it heading into the season, they have not played well, with the run defense looking particularly abysmal. Giving opposing teams advantageous field position multiple times per game through turnovers leaves the team in a tough spot given their defensive struggles.
Moreover, if their defense is not going to play like a top-ten unit, the offense, and particularly Herbert, will need to be absolutely on point for them to grind out wins throughout the rest of the season.
Although he has looked miraculous at times, Herbert has not played up to the standard he needs to in order to make this happen.
With a short week upcoming and a matchup against the Minnesota Vikings' excellent defense, he will be tested yet again, and the season could depend on his ability to overcome these challenges.