The Tigers were 25th in the NFL in rushing yards last season, averaging just under 100 yards per game, which would be an improvement from 2022, when they were third-bottom in the league.
But as of the second Sunday of the new season, the Chargers lead the league with 266 yards rushing (an average of 9.8 yards per carry) and are second in the team’s ground game.
That credit goes to new offensive coordinator Greg Roman, who joined the Chargers this season after working with Jim Harbaugh at Stanford, with the San Francisco 49ers and then with Harbaugh’s brother, John, with the Baltimore Ravens.
“Coach Roman is trying to teach us balance,” quarterback Justin Herbert said. “We’ve played great the first few games and Coach Roman has done a great job of setting us up for success.”
And Herbert could be one of the biggest beneficiaries of that approach: He ranked in the top four among NFL quarterbacks in pass attempts each of his first three seasons and was also sacked a combined 101 times in those three seasons.
But Roman’s balanced approach will likely force defenses to respect the run, giving Herbert more time to drop back.
“It’s a little bit different,” Herbert said, “and it definitely helps a lot when you go out there and you hand the ball to J.K. and Gus (Edwards) and you know they’re going to fight for every yard. So when we take shots, especially in the passing game, taking advantage of what the defense is giving us, it can only be a positive for us.”
“I feel like my job as a quarterback is to give them the ball and give them the right opportunities as a point guard. Give the ball to my playmakers and let them make plays. As long as I’m doing that, I’m doing my job.”
