Here's what Justin Herbert had to say heading into Week 9 of 2021.
Justin Herbert on facing off against former Chargers Hunter Henry and Shane Steichen the last two weeks
"It's really cool. I'm huge fans of those guys. I was a big fan of Hunter Henry before I got here and became an even bigger one after I met him. He's one of those guys that I'm going to cheer for and root for as long as he's playing. Hopefully, we have that connection for many years to come. Same thing with Shane Steichen. We got super close last year. It's unfortunate when a coaching staff has to move on, but I'm going to support him and be there for him for years to come, too."
On improving with experience in the NFL
"Obviously, I don't want to make mistakes, but it's going to happen. It's all about how you react. I can look back to high school and college, throwing picks and losing games. If you don't learn from those, you don't get any better. I think going through those mistakes, as unfortunate as they are, you have to learn from them. We have a great coaching staff who have helped me look through those and watch the film. It might be a tough film session watching those mistakes, but it's going to help you in the long run. The guys, the coaching staff, they all believe in one another. It's been a great process so far, learning.
"To learn from those — and hopefully you don't make the same mistake twice. That's what [Passing Game Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach] Shane Day and I talk about all the time. Obviously, it's not going to go your way [all the time]. Adversity is going to happen. It's all about how you react to it. Kind of like I mentioned, I think the guys have done a great job responding to it. It's a long NFL season. If you let one team beat you again, you're going to have a tough season. It's all about bouncing back and attacking each week as they come."
On what he's seeing on film from the Eagles defense
"They have a really great front-seven. They rush the passer very well. They disrupt the quarterback and they've done a great job of stopping the run, as well. They have some really good cover guys, too. It's a full team on defense. It requires us to have a good week of practice and preparation so that we have a chance on Sunday."
On how his right hand is feeling
"It's doing well ... I would have to look back at [when I hit it in the game]. I can't remember quite when it happened. It was just one of those weird things where you look down and it didn't feel quite right, but it has been good and had a good week of practice. No issues since."
On his assessment of the last two games
"As tough as it may be, there was a lot of good film to watch. You have to get better and, thankfully, it's a long season. We're not going to let two games get us down. It's all about coming back and handling adversity. I think that guys have done a great job of handling that this week and showing with their practice and giving their best effort. It might not go our way, but that's what's going to happen. That's NFL football. I think we've done a great job of responding to that, so I'm really excited to see what we can do."
On similarities between the Eagles and Chargers defense and how that helps him prepare
"I think it is a huge benefit being able to see, kind of, the similarities between the two. They have some different personnel. That front-seven that they have is really impressive, like I mentioned earlier. They've done a great job of disrupting the passer and getting a pass-rush. All of the teams that you've seen them play, they've done a good job of getting to the passer. We've had to have a good week of preparation — the protection plan, seeing coverages on film. Like I said, they're an impressive defense."
On running the ball on the road
"I think that depends on each individual game plan. If we have to throw the ball 50 times or have to run the ball 60 times, that's what we're going to have to do. You kind of have to scout and game plan the other team. The coaches have done a great job of working all week and providing us with a game plan. Whatever that may be on Sunday, we're going to do our best to follow it."
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