‘BREAKING NEWS’ NFL roundtable: Is Justin Herbert of the Chargers deserving of blame? The Rams are back in the race.

The Rams defeated the Arizona Cardinals 37-14 to maintain their NFC playoff hopes.The Chargers battled hard against the Baltimore Ravens, who were leading the AFC, but their chances of winning were dashed by four turnovers. NFL columnist Sam Farmer, beat writer for the Chargers Jeff Miller, and Los Angeles Times Gary Klein on the Rams talk about the action and future prospects:

To what extent does the Chargers’ inability to win these close games fall on quarterback Justin Herbert?

Miller: Herbert would get the portion of the blame that usually goes to the quarterback in these circumstances, but no more. His record indicates that he was unsuccessful in a late-game opportunity against Green Bay in Week 11, even though he actually placed a game-changing pass in wide receiver Quentin Johnston’s hands, and Johnston dropped it. Herbert has been put under absurd amounts of pressure in these situations this season, and he always accepts the blame afterwards. In other words, when these games have been close, the Chargers and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore have not done a good enough job of protecting Herbert.

Farmer: Everyone deserves a fair share of the blame. It is clear that Herbert is a unique talent, and as Jeff mentioned, he is not given the necessary protection. He can pick up significant amounts of yardage with his legs and makes throws that many quarterbacks are unable to make. However, he hasn’t proven to be a reliable game-winner who can close out games. The Chargers have lost 14 games by three points or less since drafting him. During that time, the NFL has suffered the most such defeats. The quarterback must take some of that responsibility.

Would you have predicted an Los Angeles victory if you had been told prior to the Chargers-Ravens game that Lamar Jackson would be limited to 177 yards passing?

Farmer: Not invariably. In general, the Ravens don’t display flashy passing stats. They outscored Seattle (252 yards passing), Cincinnati (237), Houston (169), and Arizona (157).

Miller: Not at all, sorry. The Ravens are the NFL’s top rushers, and they continued to focus on it on Sunday night as they gained 197 yards on the ground. Jackson is 3-0 against the Chargers in the regular season and has only once finished with more than 200 passing yards, which was in December of 2018.

Given that Baltimore has scored at least 31 points in five straight games, it makes sense that the team with the worst pass defense in the NFL would go to ground. Was that forced by the Chargers?

Miller: View the response above. John Harbaugh, the coach of the Ravens, is astute enough to not overanalyze situations and instead focus on what his team does well. Given that every respectable team Baltimore has faced thus far has thrown, I do believe they could have done so against the Chargers. However, Harbaugh is familiar with his squad; as December football approaches, the team went on the road and won a crucial conference game.

Farmer: With nine victories, the Ravens lead their division. Depending on the opponent, they take whatever action is necessary. Quite the opposite of what the Chargers are demonstrating, who seem to be coming up with new strategies for losing every week.

Is Kyren Williams’ success due to his ability to run patiently behind blockers, or is the offensive line of the Rams just now finding their rhythm? And last week, the Rams ran effectively.

Klein: Both. Williams seems to be moving well through the gaps created by blockers and running behind them. Williams’ biggest obstacle will be to maintain his physical health for the duration of the season.

Farmer: The offensive line has blocked runs well this season, but Williams’ poise and vision elevate the line to a professional level. The Rams’ best team rushing effort since their 2018 playoff victory over Dallas occurred during this game. Although Williams lacks the speed to hit home runs, he is incredibly astute at setting up blocks.

Is Tyler Higbee’s performance against the Cardinals a result of the running game working well? He had been a reliable red-zone target in prior seasons.

Klein: I believe that Higbee’s success on Sunday was due to either Sean McVay or Matthew Stafford realizing how important it is for the Rams to involve Higbee more. Alternatively, it could have been a reflection of the focus on Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua during those circumstances. But Higbee did manage to catch his first two touchdown passes of the year.

Farmer: In the final quarter of this season, Higbee has the potential to develop into a legitimate red-zone threat. However, Matthew Stafford is distributing the ball around just as much. Sunday saw four touchdown passes—none of which went to wide receivers.

The Rams’ Lucas Havrisik made four of his five extra-point attempts against the Cardinals, missing two, one of fifty yards and the other of twenty-four. Do you think the Rams are thinking about kickers again?

Farmer: Havrisik certainly didn’t have a great day. The Rams like his raw potential, but they’ll keep him on a short leash. Many kickers have emerged from these tailspins and become very hot.

Klein: Hello Watching the end of the Chargers game, I saw five-time All-Pro kicker Justin Tucker of the Ravens miss a 44-yard field goal. It takes place. The Rams will always have a short list of position players and kickers on hand in case they need them. However, I don’t see a move coming soon.

Next up is Cleveland. The game is expected to be low scoring because of the Browns’ formidable defense and the fact that UCLA product Dominican Thompson-Robinson is starting as a rookie quarterback. In your opinion, how well-prepared are the Rams for a game like that?

Klein: The Rams’ running attack has been strong in the last two games, McVay seems to have found the screen game again with Williams, and Higbee will reportedly play a bigger role going forward. Thus, it appears promising if the Rams can just get Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua going again. Furthermore, Thompson-Robinson may be in for a revelation when playing against Aaron Donald for the first time.

Farmer: With so many injuries, the Browns are hobbling out of this weekend. Amari Cooper, Myles Garrett, and Dorian Thompson-Robinson are all injured. Keeping up a running game will be crucial because the Rams have had trouble with elite pass rushers. You can bet that the offense will go through Williams as they have scored 26 and 37 points in their last two games with him healthy.

After benching their quarterback and losing to the Giants, who were starting their third-string quarterback, the Patriots have only two wins to their name. Why therefore won’t the Chargers win easily?

Farmer: The Chargers don’t seem to have it easy. Indeed, they ought to prevail at Foxborough.

Miller: The Chargers usually—and this is a little annoying—play at the same level as the opposition. But if they lose to the awful Patriots for a long time, the whole team might want to think about moving to the greater New England region instead of going back home.