Justin Herbert overcomes coach's medical ankle issue to lead Chargers to victory

Justin Herbert said his ankle was feeling better and he played like he was getting better.

The Los Angeles Chargers quarterback was far more mobile and set season-highs in passing in the team's 23-16 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

Herbert hadn't thrown much football in the first five games of the season as the Chargers focused more on the running game. Then Herbert suffered a right upper ankle sprain in Week 2 and his mobility was limited in Weeks 3 and 4. The Chargers had an off week in Week 5, allowing Herbert to rest and treat the ankle.

With an improved ankle, the Chargers released Herbert's arm against the Broncos.

Herbert completed 21 of 34 passes for a season-high 237 yards. His 21 completions, 34 pass attempts and 38 dropbacks were all season highs. He also completed passes to nine different receivers in the win, the Chargers' first at Empower Field since 2018.

“Hopefully this reminds everyone that Justin Herbert is really good at playing quarterback,” Harbaugh told reporters after the game.

Herbert was significantly more mobile, the offensive line's performance improved and gave the Chargers (3-2) a chance to open up the playbook. He was able to roll more often on bootlegs from the pocket and throw on the run, where his arm strength and accuracy were on display.

“Just breaking the pocket like that, I think it just adds dimension to our offense,” Herbert told reporters after the game. “As long as we're able to do that and you feel comfortable going out of your own pocket, I think it's going to open up our play-action game and our run game. So the more we can do, the better.”

The Chargers didn’t give up on the running game. They ran for 128 yards, with JK Dobbins running 25 times for 96 yards and scoring a touchdown as the team totaled 128 yards on the ground. The combination of passing and rushing attack was on full display during a 20-play drive that took more than 10 minutes off the clock in the second quarter.

“There will be times where we feel like throwing is our advantage and there will be times where we feel like we need to run the ball and make sure we control the game,” Herbert said to the reporters after the game. “It just worked out that we were going to throw the ball today. I thought it would be a good opportunity for these guys to play some outside games. They made a lot of progress with some balls offside.”

Herbert and many of the Chargers were unaware of Harbaugh's medical scare early in the first quarter. Harbaugh reported to the team's medical staff that he was suffering from an irregular heartbeat. Harbaugh received an IV and an electrocardiogram in the locker room and returned to the sideline.

“He’s tough,” Herbert said. “He hid really well because I didn’t know about it.”

Herbert is also tough and played his best game of the season on Sunday. His ankle is improving and the team is finding its rhythm with a combination of running and passing. The combination has given the team and its fans a lot of optimism.