Chargers fire OC Joe Lombardi, QB Coach Shane Day

Following the Chargers’ epic collapse against the Jaguars in the wild card round, a game in which Justin Herbert and the offense managed just three points in the second half, the team needed sweeping changes on the offensive side of the ball. Those have now come in the form of both offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and quarterbacks Shane Day being fired by the team on Tuesday morning.

The Chargers owned one of the worst third-quarter offenses in the NFL this past season, at one point going 10 consecutive games without scoring a touchdown following the break. That same theme played a roll in Saturday night’s debacle, as well.

With the incredible rash of injuries hitting the Chargers offense this season, including seven games missed by Keenan Allen, 14 by All-Pro left tackle Rashawn Slater, and five by Mike Williams, it should be expected that the entire offense, including Herbert, would take a step back from their 2021 form. However, aside from the stat sheet, the offense struggled mightily in the red zone and far too often vanished for large portions within many of their contests.

By the end of the season, Herbert was a 6.8 yards per attempt which is down from 7.5 in 2021 and 7.3 during his rookie campaign. He recorded three games with zero touchdown passes, something he had only done once (2020, vs. NE) through his first two seasons.

You didn’t have to be a serious football analyst or in the Chargers building to see that something wasn’t right with the Chargers offense and the team is smart to not waste any more time beating around the bush. While I don’t necessarily agree with the firing of Day along with him, this move was a long time coming.