It was a slow start for the Chargers offense in Week 10.
Through the unit's first four drives of the game, the offense gained just 60 yards on 16 plays, had yet to convert a third-down opportunity and was in danger of falling too deep in a hole.
Then the floodgates opened.
The Bolts responded with a much-needed drive midway through the second quarter, going 75 yards on 10 plays and converting three third-downs in the process to make it a one-score game with a Justin Herbert laser to Keenan Allen for 29 yards.
And the offense didn't look back from that point forward.
The Bolts proceeded to put on an offensive onslaught, ending the afternoon scoring a touchdown in their final five drives, ultimately getting back in the game. It was one of their most explosive offensive performances of the season so far.
Chargers Head Coach Brandon Staley believes the offense's play in the final five drives of the game can be something to build on moving forward.
"[We] didn't start fast as a team. Offensively, I thought we got it going," Staley said about the offense Wednesday. "Those last five drives are indicative of how we can play. Good balance, good explosions, I thought we were good in the third-down and red-zone category.
"We've got to continue to build off that," Staley added.
It wasn't like these drives were of the short variety either.
In addition to the 10-play drive midway through the second quarter, the Chargers offense scored on drives of 10, 10, 16 and seven plays — all while being perfect on all three fourth-down tries — including Allen's 38-yard touchdown catch and run on fourth-and-one.
Herbert was at the forefront of it all, going 22 of 29 for 271 yards and four touchdowns with a passer rating of 143.8 in the final five offensive drives of the game.
The offense was clicking, and Herbert noted how this can be a building block not only for the successes, but improving some of the things they might see can be fixed.
"I think you just have to build off it," Herbert said about the offense in Week 10. "You have to understand that when things are going well and when things are going the way we want them to, we can play pretty good offense, we can move the ball pretty well and we can get things rolling.
"As long as we're dialed, we're eliminating those mental errors and those missed assignments and we're focused on our job, I think that's huge for our offense," Herbert added. "When we're able to do that, good things happen. It's just something to build off of for sure."
Not only can it be something to build off of, but it also showed the Bolts what they're capable of on offense, especially after a sporadic performance against the Jets.
"Big confidence," said rookie wide receiver Quentin Johnston. "The week before, we kind of did some stuff here and there. So, to have a showing like that gives us a lot of confidence and reassures us that our offense can do it. Just taking it from last week and pushing it toward the weeks ahead."
Fellow rookie wide receiver Derius Davis said: "Just continue to build on that and start fast because we had a slow start. Just going out there, starting fast, no [missed assignments], no mishaps going on. Just play clean football and going out there and doing our jobs."
One of the areas that was most impressive from the offense's performance last Sunday was that it was in the midst of some attrition with some of the pass catchers.
With Joshua Palmer on Injured Reserve and Mike Williams out for the year, the Bolts relied a lot on Johnston and Jalen Guyton after both Allen and tight end Gerald Everett left the game with their respective injuries.
And they responded with some huge plays to keep the offense's momentum going.
Allen would ultimately come back and make some huge plays, but Guyton and Johnston played a vital role in the fourth quarter, scoring the Chargers third and fourth touchdowns of the game — the first of Johnston's NFL career and the first for Guyton since 2021.
Being able to keep it moving while behind on the scoreboard and regardless of who's out there is something Guyton thinks goes a long way for everyone involved, ultimately helping the offense as a whole in the long run.
"Every time. Whoever is on the field and the offense is able to roll like that and continue to get points and answer when you need to and when there's pressure, that will give anybody confidence," Guyton said. "Especially when we have a situation where guys have to step up and some of the guys who carry most of the load for us aren't out there.
"It goes a really long way helping the younger guys build confidence, even me build confidence in myself," Guyton added. "More than anything, helping Justin and allowing the offensive line to be confident in the rest of the receivers. It helps everybody marry up and really feel good about each other."
