Joe Lombardi is not a name that most Los Angeles Chargers fans like to talk about. He was the offensive coordinator during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, and if you ask the fans, you would think he was the worst OC in the NFL.
The purpose of this monologue is not to prop up Lombardi saying he was some kind of offensive guru, or even that he should have been retained instead of the hiring of Kellen Moore in 2023.
It is merely to show that after watching the current Chargers offense through 4 weeks, and the under-utilization of Justin Herbert’s sublime arm, perhaps Lombardi was not all that bad after all.
Justin Herberts Best Statistical Season
This is only Justin Herbert’s 5th NFL season, so it is a small sample size, but his two best statistical seasons came under Joe Lombardi.
Now in his rookie year, he did not play in week one, and last season he missed 4 games due to injury, but he was on pace to finish under his previous two-year totals.
In his first season with Lombardi calling plays, Herbert eclipsed 5,000 yards passing. He also finished with 38 passing touchdowns. His 5,014 yards saw him finish 2nd, behind only Tom Brady, and his 38 touchdowns were good enough for 3rd, behind Brady and Matthew Stafford.
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In 2022, Herbert regressed slightly but still put up an impressive 4,739 yards (2nd) and 25 touchdowns (9th).
The offense as a whole finished 4th in total team offense in 2021 and 9th in 2022.
Obviously, the season is still very young, but through 4 games, Herbert is currently 29th in passing yards with 578 passing yards. The offense as a whole is 28th. And this is with games against the Raiders and Panthers.
The Grass Isn’t Always Greener
There are a number of factors at play here, including personnel and the fact that Herbert has been dealing with an injury, but the offensive production is stark. But it also isn’t all that surprising.
The hiring of Jim Harbaugh was an absolute slam dunk hire. We knew this season would have some growing pains, but a culture and foundation would be created.
The hiring of Greg Roman, however, was not the right hire for a QB like Justin Herbert. This isn’t to say that Roman can’t call a successful offense, but when you look at his history, specifically at the quarterback position, it is not an offense that features the passing game, which should be the main course when Herbert is your chef.
We all know the offense that he and Jim Harbaugh ran in San Francisco with Colin Kaepernick. It shows that it can be successful, but it was tailored around Kaepernick’s athletic ability and made the run game the focal point.
During his time as the Baltimore Ravens OC, Lamar Jackson had some of the lowest passing totals of his career, and many wondered if he could be an elite QB in the passing game.
From 2020-2023 (3 seasons) Jackson did not pass for over 3,000 yards. In 2022 (Roman’s last season as OC) he only threw for 2,242 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Jackson won the NFL MVP the very next year with Todd Monken as his OC and a more modern passing attack.
Was Joe Lombardi Actually A Good Fit For Justin Herbert And The Los Angeles Chargers?
One of the biggest gripes that fans had during the Lombardi era was the inability to push the ball down the field. The big play is what everyone watches for, and the Chargers have a QB that makes it look effortless.
In 2021, Herbert attempted 64 passes of 20 yards or more, per PFF. He completed 31 of those passes for a pretty remarkable 48.4 completion percentage. In 2022, Herbert attempted 73 passes of 20 yards or more and completed 25 of them, good for a 34.2 completion percentage.
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So far in 2024, Herbert has only attempted 11 such passes (on pace for 47 total such passes in 17 games) and only completed 3 of them, a 27.3 completion percentage.
Now of course there are factors here, including roster and personnel packages, but this is how Harbaugh and his staff constructed the team.
Joe Lombardi may not have been the best OC in the NFL during his time with the Chargers, but it is safe to say that he has been the best OC for Justin Herbert so far in his young career.
Thoughts?