One of the biggest letdowns of the previous season came from the Los Angeles Chargers, who lost their only playoff game to Trevor Lawrence after squandering a 27-point lead in the second half against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The breakdown had negative effects. After the offense’s abject performance in the second half, led by Justin Herbert, offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi was dismissed. What can be said about the offense, which was unable to regularly score points to maintain a healthy margin, if the defense was unable to keep up with Lawrence throughout the comeback?
Even though the price was one of the worst outcomes in the franchise’s history, Lombardi’s departure from the Chargers was well appreciated by their fan base, who were never the greatest Lombardi supporters. Even with a quarterback as brilliant as Herbert, though, Los Angeles supporters are still not over what happened with the offense during the previous two years.
Should Justin Herbert be held accountable for the Chargers’ playoff defeat, or was Joe Lombardi to blame?
The Los Angeles Chargers playoff defeat is the fault of both quarterback and offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, in all honesty. It’s not a good recipe to have an unruly team lose an away playoff game after leading 27-0 in the second quarter.
Of course, nobody should discount the accomplishment of the Jaguars’ comeback, which was the third-largest in NFL playoff history. The Chargers have engaged in several instances of self-sabotage over the previous two years, but that loss in January was the culmination of that process.
Herbert must never allow his crew to enter this situation unaccompanied. He ought to have guided his team to the end zone in at least one or two drives. Los Angeles would not have scored 27 points in the first half if he didn’t have the potential to accomplish much more.
Lombardi, on the other hand, is the one who made a lot of deep throw calls and didn’t manage the time well while his side was leading the game entering the third quarter.
Both are guilty, but one is a pro quarterback, while the other was an offensive coordinator who received a lot of flak. Lombardi did not make it.
Conclusion
The article highlights the dissatisfaction of NFL supporters, referring to former Chargers offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi as a “football terrorist” due to his perceived mistreatment of quarterback Justin Herbert.
The disappointment of the Chargers’ playoff defeat, where they lost a significant lead to the Jacksonville Jaguars, is attributed to both Herbert and Lombardi. While the Jaguars’ comeback cannot be ignored, the Chargers’ self-sabotage over the previous two years culminated in that loss.
Herbert should have taken more responsibility in guiding his team to victory and scoring more points, considering his potential. Lombardi, on the other hand, is criticized for his play-calling and poor time management during the game.
Ultimately, both Herbert and Lombardi are held accountable, with Lombardi facing particular scrutiny as the offensive coordinator who faced significant criticism from the fan base.