The crowd gasped. Justin Herbert yelled.
The sight of the Chargers’ quarterback absorbing a bone-shaking hit while scrambling made fans at SoFi Stadium hold their breath and nearby teammates rush to his aid, but Herbert popped right back up to his feet, extended the ball in his right hand and shouted as he emphatically signaled first down.
Herbert used both his arm and his legs to guide the Chargers in the right direction Sunday in a 26-8 win over the New Orleans Saints.
The quarterback threw for 279 yards and two touchdowns to Ladd McConkey and rushed for 49 more yards, including a career-high 38-yard run in the second quarter that seemed to set the tone for an offense still struggling to find steady footing.
After failing to score a touchdown in a loss to the Arizona Cardinals last Monday, Herbert said the Chargers (4-3) still were searching for their offensive identity. However long the discovery process takes for first-year offensive coordinator Greg Roman, the search will undoubtedly circle back to Herbert.
The star quarterback completed 20 of 32 passes and was again the steadying force for the sputtering offense that struggled with protection up front and punted a season-high three times in the first quarter.
The equally inept Saints (2-6) relied on a bad snap on a Chargers punt to score their first points of the game on a first-quarter safety.
Navigating a consistently collapsing pocket, Herbert showed just how much progress he’s made since a Week 2 ankle sprain by rushing for a first-half game-high 49 yards. His 38-yard scramble was the longest play from scrimmage in the first half as the Chargers inched ahead 9-5.
Herbert’s ankle showed no limitations when he sprinted down the field to catch up with McConkey in the third quarter when the rookie scored on a 60-yard touchdown catch.
While McConkey danced in the end zone with fellow receiver Simi Fehoko, Herbert whipped his right fist in the air before wrapping McConkey in a hug.
McConkey had the first 100-yard receiving game of his career, finishing with 111 yards and the two touchdowns on six catches. He is the first Chargers rookie to record a 100-yard receiving game since Keenan Allen in 2013.