In September, after Justin Herbert threw an interception near the goal line late in a Week 3 loss at Buffalo, Tom Brady likened the errant throw to a “meatball sub,” calling it a poor decision with a safety sitting in the middle of the field. More than a month later, that sandwich analogy resurfaced after Rams safety Quentin Lake picked off Herbert in Los Angeles’ 24-9 win at SoFi Stadium — telling the St. Brown Podcast that Herbert was “throwing deli meat out there” and suggesting the quarterback was “seeing ghosts.”
Lake laughed as he described the Chargers’ mistakes and said his team expected to snag at least one interception. Herbert, the 2020 Offensive Rookie of the Year and two-time Pro Bowler, now surprisingly leads the league with 10 interceptions this season. Some have been baffling; Lake’s takeaway came on a read-the-route out pattern early in the first quarter. Later, trailing 17-9 late in the third, Herbert forced a pass into heavy coverage that Trent McDuffie intercepted and returned 26 yards, setting up the Rams’ final touchdown.
Herbert came into the 2026 season widely respected after an impressive start to his NFL career, so his current slump has been jarring. Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh pushed back on Lake’s “seeing ghosts” line Wednesday, saying he doesn’t view Herbert that way and praising the passer’s work overall while acknowledging a couple of throws he’d like back. In the game he went 24-of-32 for 257 yards with no TDs and two interceptions; he hasn’t thrown a touchdown since the Oct. 11 loss to Denver, which is also the last time the Chargers scored a touchdown.
After completing more than 65% of his passes in each of his first six NFL seasons, Herbert’s completion rate has dipped to 61.8% this year, and his sudden inefficiency and high interception total have intensified scrutiny over how he and first-year offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel are meshing. The Chargers are 0-7, but the organization hasn’t moved off McDaniel yet, and it’s unclear when — or if — Herbert will rebound.
Fan Take: This matters because a sudden decline from a young franchise quarterback like Herbert alters playoff outlooks and can accelerate coaching and roster questions for a struggling team. If Herbert can’t correct these mistakes, it could prompt bigger changes in offensive philosophy or personnel across the NFL as teams reassess how they protect and develop high-investment quarterbacks.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
