Chase Daniel Calls the Chargers’ TNF Win Over the Broncos Justin Herbert’s “Best Big Time Game”

Many had given up on the Los Angeles Chargers by the third quarter of their Thursday Night Football matchup against the Denver Broncos. They were down 24-13 to the Broncos and hadn’t shown a knack for scoring late in games this season. However, Justin Herbert changed that by leading the team to a stunning 34-27 comeback victory, even drawing praise from former teammate Chase Daniel.

While discussing the AFC West divisional clash on his FS1 show The Facility, Daniel gushed not just about the Chargers, but also particularly about Herbert. Although the Oregon alumni had been in important games before, Daniel argues this was his best performance on the big stage to date.

“This is truly one of the best big-time games that I’ve seen Justin Herbert ever play. And I’ve seen him play some big games, because we’ve been in some playoff games, he did not play well in the second half of that game.”

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Daniel talked about how worried he got early in the game when the Chargers were down by double digits. And he had every right to be. L.A. has been extremely poor offensively in the second half of games this year. Herbert and company are scoring just 5.2 4th quarter points per game (29th) and just 9.2 points per game (27th) in the second half overall.

“I’m thinking in the back of my mind, ‘oh man, how in the world are the Chargers going to come back from this deficit?’ Because, in reality, the Chargers in close games, they’ve lost 11 straight games decided by three points or fewer, that’s the 3rd-most in NFL history.”

Daniel was understandably elated with the comeback. So much so that the 38-year-old thinks Herbert is a “top five QB” when he performs at this level.

“Justin Herbert, second half, 11-of-16, 150 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, huge scrambles picked up on a gimpy ankle. You can’t watch this performance and tell me that Justin Herbert is not a top-five QB when he plays like this against the best scoring defense in the NFL.”

Justin Herbert has been solid and reliable this year if uninspiring. He doesn’t put up gaudy numbers, but some of his stats still stand out. His passes have only been intercepted three times this season. He’s also putting up a career-high passer rating (98.4).

L.A. can run the ball and play defense, but if they can throw it like they did in the second half on Thursday, they could pose a significant threat in January.

The Chargers now sit at 9-6 and hold the No. 6 seed in the AFC playoff picture. They’ll wrap up their season with games against the New England Patriots and the Las Vegas Raiders, giving them a great shot to finish 11-6.