What Chris Jones Said About Justin Herbert’s Dagger Scramble

Drue Tranquill sacked Justin Herbert to set up a third-and-14 with an eternal 2:14 remaining in the game. Trailing 27-21, the Chiefs burned their final timeout, the ball at the Kansas City 34-yard line. All the Chiefs needed to do – with Jones one-on-one against backup right tackle Trey Pipkins -- was hold the Chargers to 13 yards or less.

“The tackle jumped me,” Jones said. “I think we were even, two 3s and two 5s, and just should have stayed outside. I blame me. Could have pass rushed better, could have had a better pass rush, could have contained better. I blame myself.”

Chiefs had an even front with 4 defensive linemen, 7 in coverage

Two 3s and two 5s meaning the Chiefs had two linemen aligned off the guards and two aligned off the tackles, including Jones off the edge. Kansas City clearly wasn’t expecting a run. But Jones made a swim move to the inside of Pipkins and got caught in the wash. Without an open receiver, Herbert drifted to his right and accelerated through the open lane vacated by Jones.

What Herbert said

Mike Danna appeared to be held by Mekhi Becton on play, but whether the defensive end would’ve had an angle on the speedy quarterback is debatable. Herbert raced 19 yards for a fateful first down, sliding in bounds to ice the game. Afterward, the quarterback said he was looking for wide receiver Quentin Johnston, but if that wasn’t there, he had the dagger-in-the-heart scramble as his Plan B.

“Yeah, was trying to get the ball to Q,” said Herbert, who was 25 of 34 for 318 yards and three touchdown passes with no interceptions. “They ended up doubling him. I figured it was man coverage until there was no one for me. Escaped the pocket, saw no one out in front of me. Just slid and ended up getting the first down.”

He got the first down and the Chargers’ first win. He also finished with 32 yards on seven carries.

Herbert’s first NFL start came against the Chiefs in Week 2 of his 2020 rookie season, an emergency assignment after Los Angeles starter Tyrod Taylor suffered a collapsed lung during a routine pain injection.

While Kansas City escaped that day with a 23-20 overtime win, the Chiefs have had their battles with Herbert. The quarterback won his next two starts against Kansas City, including an impressive 2021 start at Arrowhead Stadium, where he threw for 281 yards and four touchdowns.

Friday’s win snapped Herbert’s six-game losing streak against Kansas City. The quarterback has 2,713 career passing yards and 21 touchdown passes in games opposite the Chiefs, each his most against any opponent.