The Los Angeles Chargers needed to hold a 17-10 lead for one more quarter to win for the first time this season.
Instead, Justin Herbert’s fourth-down interception in a 23-17 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday led former NFL player Emmanuel Acho to joke that the FBI has to investigate the quarterback.
The loss dropped the Chargers to 0-5, while Denver improved to 3-2. The Chargers gave the ball away on three straight fourth-quarter possessions, and the Broncos scored the game’s final 13 points.
Justin Herbert Criticized for Fourth-Down Interception Against Denver Broncos
Acho wrote on X, “The FBI has to investigate Justin Herbert at this point… I can’t believe this. He threw it right to him.”
The throw came on fourth down with less than four minutes left and the Chargers trailing 20-17. Herbert had fumbled and recovered earlier in the drive, then scrambled 12 yards up the middle before safety Brandon Jones intercepted him and returned the ball 7 yards.
It was the Chargers’ third straight possession to end with Denver taking over. Herbert came up short on a fourth-and-1 keeper, and Denver answered with Courtland Sutton’s 5-yard touchdown catch from Bo Nix to tie it at 17.
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On the next drive, Zach Allen sacked Herbert at the Chargers’ 24 and forced a fumble that Que Robinson recovered. Wil Lutz followed with a 19-yard field goal for the lead, and his 36-yarder after the interception made it 23-17 with just over a minute left.
Herbert’s critics started with the read. “It’s year 7 and he couldn’t read a basic Cover 2 concept and threw it right to the underneath defender,” one fan replied to Acho.
Pro Football Network’s PFN Impact grade for Herbert through Week 5 is 60.9, which ranks 33rd of 33 graded quarterbacks. The pick came in his 100th career game, and he finished 14 of 24 for 121 yards with a touchdown. Dating to last season, he has gone seven straight games with at least as many interceptions as touchdowns, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Another fan said Herbert had better options elsewhere. “Either of these is likely a first down. He just chose to throw it into triple coverage on the other side.”
Not everyone put it all on Herbert. The Chargers started four rookies on the offensive line, three of them backups, after tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater were hurt a week earlier at Seattle, and Denver sacked Herbert five times. The Chargers also played without receiver Ladd McConkey, who has a foot injury.
One Chargers fan pointed to the receivers, singling out Marquez Valdes-Scantling. “Obviously MVS wasn’t where he was suppose to be.”
Valdes-Scantling finished with two catches for 22 yards, and the Chargers managed 82 net passing yards. Tight end Charlie Kolar also lost a fumble on the Chargers’ first completion, and Jones recovered it to set up J.K. Dobbins’ 2-yard touchdown run.
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KenHeLive took the argument in another direction, seeing a double standard in how Herbert’s mistakes are discussed. “They would be questioning his intelligence if he was a Black QB.”
Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said after last week’s loss at Seattle that there were no plans to replace offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, the former Miami Dolphins head coach. The Los Angeles Times wrote that the calls for a change grow louder with each loss.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.