Justin Herbert, Jim Harbaugh react to Quentin Johnston’s rough night for Chargers

Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston came up with critical drops against the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth quarter. The first drop of the sequence came on a 3rd and 6 where Johnston bobbled what could have been a 15-20 yard pickup after the catch. LA was forced to punt and end the drive.

On the Chargers’ final touchdown drive, Johnston was again targeted almost right off the bat. He had two drops in a row on 1st and 2nd down. With 2:53 left in the 4th quarter, loud boos rained down on SoFi Stadium for the performance of the second-year wideout from TCU.

The Bengals game, while not as disastrous for Johnston, showed that he still has some weaknesses in making plays through contact. It also showed up for him on an earlier go route in this game. While progress has been made in his sophomore season, the lack of route running, a general contact aversion and drop still plague Johnston.

Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh was asked about Johnston’s drop after the game and admitted that Johnston could have been better without saying so.

“I think we all have some things we wish we played, coached better,” Harbaugh said. “That’s how I feel. That’s my reaction.”

When asked if his drops were “jarring,” Harbaugh said he disagreed with that use of the word.

Chargers QB Justin Herbert actively jumped to the defense of his teammates in his postgame media availability:

“I think that’s the hard part about the NFL. He’s a playmaker,” Herbert explained. “He’s done an incredible job all year. You never see that. Like when I throw an interception or when I miss a throw, he comes up to me and tells me, ‘hey, it’s next piece. And it’s like everybody in that dressing room. I can give him better balls. It’s up to me to deliver the ball, that we are all on the same page side.

The Athletic’s Daniel Popper asked if how much Johnston has improved gives Herbert confidence he will return. Herbert’s answer:

“He’s a fighter. You trust him. And I’m going to keep throwing him the ball. That’s what we did out there. Unfortunately, it didn’t go our way tonight. But I know he’s going to be the first one in the building .and he wants to do everything the right way. He’s a really good teammate and he’s got to make some plays.

Johnston will get a chance to shake off this week’s performance against the Falcons next week when the Chargers return on the road to Atlanta.