The Denver Broncos spent too much time pressuring and repeatedly beating the Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert and his O-line. The Broncos held a 20-13 lead till the late fourth quarter, but Herbert bounced back when it mattered the most. He managed to make plays that carried the Chargers to victory with a score of 23-20 after the fourth quarter. He has been serving as the sole engine of the Chargers’ offense. But will Herbert’s toughness and ability to turn the game over for his team end up being a double-edged sword?

The Chargers are now the fourth team in the NFL to open the season with a 3-0 record since the league expanded to 32 teams in 2002, defeating all the other divisional teams. Justin Herbert once again fired up the drive, completing 4 of 5 passes, including a 20-yard touchdown to Keenan Allen. But there is one question that still hovers over Jim Harbaugh‘s offensive strategy. Is the O-line complementing Herbert’s heroics? Well, the talented defense of the Broncos blanketed Herbert many times. He was pressured more than half of his drop-backs against Denver.

Herbert’s heroics always overshadow the leaks in the offense, but this won’t last long if they don’t acknowledge it soon. He appeared to find difficulty in carving out lanes for himself. Denver’s defense set up a 17-10 lead after Derius Davis‘ fumble put the Chargers under immense pressure. Herbert was consistently pressured by the talented Denver defense (29 times), which later got him sacked 5 times.

The problems for the Chargers’ offense did not hit the ceiling just yet. Injury concerns along the O-line are just twisting the knife. The O-line is already without star tackle, Rashawn Slater, and week 3 did not prove out to be any better. Starting guard Mekhi Becton had to leave the game because of an injury. At right tackle, Trey Pipkins kept going in and out of the lineup during the game. For running, RB Najee Harris is also uncertain due to a non-contact Achilles injury.

Despite this, Justin Herbert managed to stave off a hiding for the Chargers. But the question is, for how long can he do it?

Justin Herbert saves the day for the Chargers

Once again, Quarterback Justin Herbert was the star of the show, leading one of the best drives of his career. With less than three seconds left, Herbert escaped a crowded pocket, ran to his left, and threw across his body under heavy pressure. He was even hit in the head by a defender, but still managed to connect with Keenan Allen for a 20-yard touchdown. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, the chance of completing that pass was only 16.7 percent. Allen had very little room to work with, just 0.6 yards of separation from his defender. The play was as amazing statistically as it looked on the field.

Notwithstanding his five sacks, he remained calm and rose to the occasion during the most important times. After Allen received the ultimate touchdown, tying the game at 20-20, Denver took possession again, but it resulted in three and out. Herbert would then embark on a two-minute scoring drive of 43 yards in eight plays, which had put Cameron Dicker in position to make the game-winning field goal of 43 yards as time expired.

The Chargers did not come away unscathed. They lost running back Najee Harris to a torn Achilles and right guard Mekhi Becton to a concussion. Rookie Omarion Hampton filled in well, scoring his first career touchdown and finishing with 70 rushing yards on 19 carries. Despite all this, the injuries signal that the offensive line struggled, forcing Herbert to take hit after hit. But all in all, it was another big performance from Justin Herbert as he completed 28-of-47 passes for 300 yards with one touchdown and one interception.