Andy Backstrom Contributing writer Thu, November 5, 2026 at 12:13 AM UTC · 3 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Back in September, after Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was picked off on the doorstep of the end zone in the fourth quarter of a Week 3 road loss to the Buffalo Bills, Tom Brady described the intercepted pass as a "meatball sub."
"Herbert trying to throw down the middle of the field," Brady said at the time on the Fox Sports broadcast. "But there's a safety in the middle of the field. … Poor awareness. Poor decision."
More than a month later, Herbert still hasn't snapped out his head-scratching funk, and the sandwich metaphor has resurfaced.
This time, it was used by Los Angeles Rams safety Quentin Lake, who nabbed one of Herbert's two picks last week in a 24-9 win over the Chargers at SoFi Stadium .
"I mean, he was throwing deli meat out there," Lake said on the St. Brown Podcast , which is co-hosted by brothers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Equanimeous St. Brown.
Amon-Ra St. Brown, a four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver for the Detroit Lions, asked, "Was he?"
"Bro," Lake said prior to shaking his head and starting to smile.
Lake then began cracking up before reeling his laughter back in.
"Bro, I don't know what's going on," he continued, "but, like, we knew we were going to get a couple [interceptions]. At least one."
Herbert, the 2020 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and a two-time Pro Bowler since, shockingly leads the NFL with 10 picks this season.
Some of those turnovers have been straight-up flummoxing. Lake's interception came on an out route that he read like a book midway through the first quarter this past Sunday .
Later in the game, with the Chargers trailing the Rams 17-9 late in third, Herbert tossed the ball into heavy traffic. Cornerback Trent McDuffie easily caught it and ripped off a 26-yard return that set the stage for the Rams' final touchdown of the day.
Coming into the 2026 campaign, Herbert had been revered throughout his young NFL career. Right from the get-go, the No. 6 overall pick thrived in the league, translating his success from Oregon to the next level.
To see him struggle the way he has this season has been jarring. Hearing Lake say that Herbert's "seeing ghosts" is comparably sobering.
When asked about Lake's comments Wednesday, Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh disagreed with the defensive back's assessment.
"As far as anybody's opinion, I mean, I don't see that," Harbaugh said, per The Athletic's Noah Furtado . "Everybody's entitled to their opinion. That's not what I see. ... Pass game, I thought [Herbert] did his job exceptionally well. You know, two throws he would've liked to have back."
Herbert finished the game 24 of 32 with 257 yards in the air, no touchdowns and those two picks. He hasn't thrown a TD pass since an Oct. 11 game versus the Denver Broncos. Granted, the Chargers have had a bye week since, but that's also the last time they've scored any kind of touchdown.
Harbaugh has frequently backed Herbert during their overlap in L.A. But it's becoming increasingly difficult to defend some of his giveaways.
After posting a completion rate north of 65% in each of his first six NFL seasons, the 28-year-old Herbert's percentage in that department has dropped to 61.8%. His sudden inefficiency and uncharacteristically high interception total have raised serious questions about his fit with first-year Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel .
The 0-7 Chargers haven't moved off McDaniel yet, however, and the ETA on Herbert's long-awaited bounce-back performance is up in the air.
Source: Sports
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