This past week on The Ringer NFL Show, Diante Lee put Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert at five in his top 10 quarterback list, below Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. Meanwhile, his co-host Steven Ruiz had Herbert at four, above Burrow. So it begs the question, who’s right?
Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert Vs Joe Burrow In 2024
Lee started out by saying that for the first time ever, he was ranking Herbert below Burrow.
“Joe Burrow looks like the quarterback that everybody who is a Burrow fan is telling me that he is…Like, he really checked that box of being a guy who can find you success before the balls even snapped because he knows what defenses are trying to do to him and his receivers. And then to me, and maybe the biggest layer of evolution for me is the fact that things did not break down outside of structure. He did not break down as often when he was pressured.”
If you take into consideration regular and postseason snaps, Herbert was sacked a career high of 45 times this past season, while Burrow was a little above that at 48.
According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Herbert was pressured on 33.8% of dropbacks, and when pressured, his completion percentage was 51.4% with five interceptions.
Burrow, meanwhile, when pressured on 34.2% of his dropbacks, had a completion percentage of 58.5% and three interceptions. Lee may have made a mistake, though, when putting Burrow ahead when it comes to avoiding pressure and processing.
Check Out Our Los Angeles Chargers Merch And Help Support LAFB!
Ruiz didn’t hate the fact that Lee put Burrow over Herbert, but agreed in the sense that Burrow did take a step forward last year and played some great football.
Otherwise, Ruiz said, “Justin Herbert has never had a problem processing on time. That’s why he doesn’t take a lot of sacks. That’s why he’s able to solve problems as well as any, like Lamar Jackson solves pressure problems like a deteriorating pocket as well as anyone I’ve ever seen. Justin Herbert might be second on that list.”
In the Allowed Pressure report from PFF, which “considers plays where the offense allowed pressure,” the percentage of dropbacks with pressures attributed to Herbert is only 8.5% whereas with Burrow it was 12.4%.
The report pins most of the pressure on Herbert’s offensive line (81.3%), and in particular, the majority of it on his left guard, Zion Johnson (21.0%). The fact that PFF ranked the Chargers’ offensive line 21st in their final season rankings and the Bengals even lower at 30 proves the point that maybe it’s not the quarterback, it’s the supporting cast.
And though Herbert’s average time to throw on all dropbacks (2.87 seconds) is higher than Burrow’s (2.65), they’re so close, it’s not quite clear why Herbert should be lower than Burrow for these particular traits.
Lee admitted he was being nitpicky as he said, “you get to a certain point where the processing is so elite, and I’m now hyper focused on each decision you make and why” and ultimately, besides the big leap that Burrow took last year, he put Herbert at five because he feels Herbert doesn’t take enough risks.
“I wish that he would just cut it loose more often, so he can learn exactly what he can get away with. I still feel like, I have almost 1/2 decade into this guy’s career, or a half decade into this guy’s career, I still don’t know if Justin Herbert knows what he can get away with in the NFL.”
Ruiz admits that Herbert “still has to take the restrictor plates off, and I think he’ll get there because he’s kind of been inching towards it over the last couple of years.”
While Lee said, “I think that Justin Herbert needs a little bit more of that Josh Allen in him, of hey, man, like if you got one-on-one coverage out on the boundary, man, go take it.”
In that respect, Lee is right, and there are definitely those games of Herbert’s where it’s clear that the pressure, literally and figuratively, is getting to him, and he makes snap decisions which normally involve throws ending in interceptions.
Herbert has often relied on his arm to get him where he needs to go and he doesn’t necessarily have to turn into Lamar Jackson or be reckless, but taking a little more risk, as he did scramble quite a bit last year, and playing even more out of structure, that’s something that would be great to see from the veteran quarterback.
What Will It Take For Justin Herbert To Get To The Next Level?
Besides the offensive line, perhaps the biggest factor working against Herbert last year he didn’t have many people to throw to. A key thing to remember is that Burrow is working with a pretty deadly one-two receiver punch in Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase.
Ruiz remarked, “…especially for his style like a pre-snap processor where you have like these two point of reference wide receivers that dictate what the defense can do, and…you’re giving him the answers before the test. It’s almost a cheat code for him, and he’s like the perfect quarterback to take advantage of that cheat code.”
More News: Chargers Rookie Shines On Day 1 Of Training Camp Amid Wild WR Room Drama
Herbert’s two big targets were wide receiver Ladd McConkey and tight end Will Dissly, and while both performed over expectations, they aren’t at the level of a Chase or Higgins.
Herbert needs those true one, two, even three receivers along with a more solid offensive line. And maybe if he has the playmakers and infrastructure, he’ll loosen up even more and perhaps, going into this season, definitively be in the top three on everyone’s quarterback lists next summer.
Thoughts, BoltFam? Comment below!