Justin Herbert didn’t take any snaps on defense for the Chargers on Thursday night, but he had an impact on that side of the ball.
After the Chargers fell behind the Broncos by 11 points, Herbert rallied the offense for three touchdown drives in the second half. He did so despite an ankle injury that limited his ability to prepare for the game and that effort made an impression on edge rusher Khalil Mack.
Mack and the Chargers defense only allowed six points in the final 30 minutes, which meant that the offense’s contributions were enough to push the team to a 34-27 victory. Mack said that Herbert playing through the injury “makes you want to fight even harder” to push the team closer to a playoff berth.
“It speaks to the leadership and the person that he is,” Mack said, via the team’s website. “Laying his body on the line for us, that does a hell of a thing to a team when you got a quarterback that’s fighting through what he’s fighting through and laying his body out there for us and doing what he does.”
The Chargers will have extended time off before Week 17 and the hope will be that Herbert’s ankle can improve enough for him to play at an even higher level, but the team can be confident that Herbert is going to give them all he has under any circumstances.
