Justin Herbert wants to go for it on every fourth…
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The Chargers had an NFL-high 22 conversions on fourth downs this season, but if it were up to quarterback Justin Herbert, they’d go for it on fourth down even more.
Herbert said on PFT Live that he never wants to punt, although he acknowledged that he’s never going to convince coach Brandon Staley to be that aggressive.
“Selfishly, as the quarterback, I want to be on the field for every fourth down,” Herbert said. “Whether that’s smart or not, that’s not my call to make. Whether it’s fourth and short, fourth and long, I really believe in the guys we have, and I believe if we don’t get it our defense can come up with the stop. So having the opportunity to go for it and change the game if you do get those, I think that’s big for our team because of how aggressive we are.”
As analytics have become more influential in the NFL, coaches have become much more aggressive on fourth downs. Staley may be the most aggressive coach in the league, but Herbert would gladly go for it even more. Perhaps they will in 2022.
