The Los Angeles Chargers quarterback, Justin Herbert, was sacked three times during the game against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 7. He was hit 15 times in the game, which was way more than what the Chargers did against the Colts quarterback, Daniel Jones. But looking back, Herbert downplayed this aspect and the risks.

“Physically, I feel pretty good,” he told the reporters. “We have a great training staff. That’s part of the game. We’ve thrown the ball the most in the NFL.” And then came his take on the offensive performance: “I think our offensive line has done a great job battling.”

Despite the issues with hits, sacks, and not much help, Justin Herbert tried to brush off the offensive struggles in public. In fact, in the game, too, he still gave everything he had against the Colts. The quarterback threw 55 times, trying to drag the Chargers back from a deep hole. The offense actually looked sharp for most of the night, but two picks in Colts territory changed everything.

One came in the end zone on a throw to Quentin Johnston, and if that had connected, we might be talking about a different result. Still, Herbert went off for 420 yards, three touchdowns, and 37 completions. But now, he’s hoping to get Joe Alt and Trey Pipkins back on Thursday against the Vikings because last week, the O-line was running on fumes.

Fifth and sixth-string tackles just can’t hold up forever. If that protection doesn’t get better soon, this “special” Chargers start might fade fast, and Herbert can’t keep taking hits like that.

That means, while the Chargers have been relying on their defense in the last few weeks, the O-line needs to improve. And let us remind you that this isn’t the first time. The Chargers had been struggling with the O-line for the past few weeks.

The QB was hit 14 times in Week 3. He was hit 12 times in the game against the New York Giants. After such back-to-back instances, head coach Jim Harbaugh had even called out the Chargers’ offensive line.

“It’s very concerning,” the coach said. “We’ll go back and look and we’ve gotta get better. We got to put him in a better position. Don’t think he’s been in a good position.”

Harbaugh has often expressed the importance of protecting the QB. And that has been missing in the last few weeks. The team had started quite strongly with a 0-3 record, but they have now fallen to 4-3. Additionally, the team risks falling to .500 if they lose to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 8. So, it’s high time they must improve their team’s pitfalls, starting with the O-line.

And it’s not only Herbert, even coach Harbaugh also shared his take on the Chargers’ offense.

Jim Harbaugh opened up about the Chargers’ offense after Justin Herbert

After a 38-24 defeat by the Colts, coach Harbaugh said something very different from what fans expected. He said that the offense has improved. “I do…in their run blocking and pass protection….I think they’ve acquitted themselves very well.” But stats say that offensively, the unit didn’t find the end zone until the third quarter and managed just 54 rushing yards.

Anyway, the biggest issue for the Chargers’ offense remains the injuries. It all started with tackle Rashawn Slater, who went down with a leg injury. That sent waves through the starting five. Offensive linemen Austin Deculus, who was brought in to replace Slater and Joe Alt, has also struggled to keep up with low win rates and allowing sacks.

Tackle Joe Alt was placed at the left tackle, while offensive lineman Trey Pipkins III was at the right tackle. But things went south when Alt suffered a sprained ankle. Pipkins was also ruled out of the game for his knee injury. And the struggles with poor performance on the pass protection remained an issue.

Deculus allowed six pressures (team-high) in the game against the Giants. Now, he is dealing with an ankle injury. Offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer is also dealing with his knee injury.

Whether QB Herbert takes the sides or not, too many hits are clearly not good for the player as well as the team. Now, it remains to be seen how the Chargers move ahead amid multiple injuries piling up on offense.