Chargers take flashy offense on road against Ravens

BALTIMORE  — Baltimore Ravens antiaircraft coordinator Don Martindale had a unusual mode of describing Justin Herbert’s limb spot erstwhile helium said: “He’s 1 of those guys who tin propulsion a strawberry done a battleship.”

Herbert wasn’t definite whether those unusual words were a compliment.

“I conscionable anticipation helium meant it successful a bully way,” Herbert said. “I person a batch of respect for him and his defense.”

Herbert aboriginal realized Martindale was praising his limb spot and mentioned that he’s heard alien compliments. These days, galore person been praising the Chargers’ second-year backmost who is successful the premix for the NFL’s MVP award.

But Herbert won’t beryllium the lone MVP-candidate backmost connected the tract Sunday erstwhile the Chargers look dynamic backmost Lamar Jackson and the Ravens astatine M&T Bank Stadium.

Herbert and Jackson received astir of the praise heading into this Week 6 showdown betwixt 4-1 teams. Chargers manager Brandon Staley said nary 1 successful the past of the NFL has done what Jackson has been capable to bash with his passing and mobility since entering the league successful 2018.

“He’s genuinely 1 of a kind,” Staley said.

But Staley doesn’t privation the sole absorption of this matchup to beryllium connected the quarterbacks.

Staley said his squad is filled with prima players, particularly connected an discourtesy that scored 47 points, including 26 successful the last quarter, against the Cleveland Browns’ stout defence past week.

Herbert is playing constituent guard, but he’s receiving stellar contributions from wide receiver Keenan Allen, a Pro Bowl regular, wide receiver Mike Williams, who is successful the midst of a vocation year, and dynamic moving backmost Austin Ekeler, who has made his phantasy shot managers blessed this season.

The Chargers circular retired their red-hot discourtesy with choky ends Jared Cook and Donald Parham Jr. to supply Herbert with mismatches to determination the chains connected 3rd and 4th downs. Herbert is besides good protected by rookie near tackle Rashawn Slater, halfway Corey Linsley and near defender Matt Feiler. If the pouch collapses, Herbert is capable to make magic with off-platform throws to his abundance of playmakers.

In Los Angeles, a metropolis known for favoring flashy high-scoring offenses nary substance the sport, the Chargers connection an entertaining merchandise with a prima backmost moving an aggressive, explosive offense. The Chargers’ discourtesy is 7 for 7 connected fourth-down conversion attempts this season, not including a fake punt effort against the Las Vegas Raiders successful Week 4.

But the Chargers aren’t conscionable drafting attraction locally and luring fans to SoFi Stadium. What Herbert and the discourtesy person done done 5 games has attracted nationalist attention. They’ve go must-see TV with a “Showtime” offense.

“Certainly, what fans are funny successful is high-caliber football,” Staley said. “Offensively, you person to beryllium capable to people successful this league. When you tin bash it the mode we’re doing it, where, going backmost to the Lakers, if you privation to marque that comparison, determination were a batch of bully violative players connected the Lakers. It wasn’t conscionable Magic (Johnson) and Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar). You had a batch of players – you cognize Michael Cooper, James Worthy, Byron Scott, you had a batch of guys making plays connected that team.

“I deliberation that astir radical that ticker the crippled similar to spot a batch of radical interaction the ball. They privation to spot continuity wherever it’s not conscionable 1 idiosyncratic that’s dominating the ball. They privation to spot a squad that tin people a batch of antithetic ways. People amusement up for stars successful pro sports and I deliberation our squad has a batch of them, successful presumption of guys that the mean instrumentality is going to say, ‘That idiosyncratic stands retired to me.’ We person them successful each 3 phases of the game.”

The Chargers person a agelong mode to spell earlier they tin beryllium compared to immoderate of the league’s historical offenses, but they’re attracting attraction successful a metropolis wherever they’ve been mostly afterthoughts since moving from San Diego successful 2017.

They’ve been a prolific discourtesy and volition astir apt person a fistful of players named to the Pro Bowl astatine the extremity of the season. But the Chargers aren’t playing for Pro Bowl selections nor to pull attraction with a flashy offense.

Staley wants a implicit squad to go a legit Super Bowl contender and they’re headed successful that absorption with wins against Washington, Kansas City and the Browns, 3 teams that made the playoffs past season. They besides bushed the then-undefeated Las Vegas Raiders connected “Monday Night Football.” The Chargers’ lone nonaccomplishment was against the Dallas Cowboys, a 4-1 squad that sits atop the NFC East.

“The past happening that radical are going to amusement up for is playing arsenic a implicit team,” Staley said. “We privation to person a squad that’s susceptible of beating radical successful a batch of antithetic ways. That’s what you got to have, ultimately, due to the fact that arsenic overmuch arsenic you privation to speech astir ‘Showtime’, similar you request ‘Showtime’ and past you request radical that tin halt people. That’s what we’re trying to do, is beryllium capable to triumph the crippled a clump of antithetic ways due to the fact that that’s what large teams do.

“We’re inactive astatine the beginning, but what I would archer you is that Chargers fans, done 5 games, person seen america play 5 existent shot teams. They person a beauteous close look astir wherever we’re astatine truthful far.”

The Chargers tin supply a clearer representation of their squad by beating the Ravens and going into their bye week with a 5-1 record. But the defence volition request to bash its portion against Jackson, who was sensational portion erasing a 19-point shortage to bushed the Indianapolis Colts connected Monday night.

“I don’t deliberation his crippled done the aerial gets capable credit,” Herbert said. “He’s capable to propulsion the shot highly good and he’s capable to bash everything. If the extortion breaks down, he’s capable to get retired of determination and marque plays nary 1 other connected this satellite tin make. I cognize that the defence is moving hard and doing their best, watching arsenic overmuch movie arsenic they tin to get a bully bushed for their offense.”

Herbert had his ain memorable show past week erstwhile helium propelled the Chargers with a five-touchdown effort (one rushing) to erase a 14-point shortage against the Browns.

The Chargers and Ravens person much to connection than their quarterbacks, but this showdown mightiness travel down to which squad does the champion occupation limiting the opposing QB.

“We don’t privation to hype him up excessively atrocious this week,” Jackson said of Herbert. “But he’s decidedly been balling retired – balling retired of control.”