In a think-piece that analyzed every starting quarterback’s weaknesses across the NFL, ESPN writer Aaron Schatz made a compelling case that Los Angeles Chargers’ signal caller Justin Herbert struggles in the second halves of games. In his analysis, Schatz pointed to Herbert’s lower passing DVOA, or defensive-adjusted value over average, as a key indicator of Herbert’s supposed deficiency in this facet of his game, and said that the trend started well before the 2022 season.
The argument goes like this: Herbert’s passing DVOA, which measures his efficiency against an average based on opponent and situation, has dropped from 14.6 percent in first halves to -18.2 percent in second halves this year. This radical change is on par with his numbers in 2021, where his first-half passing DVOA was 23.4 percent and 12.3 percent in the second.
