Roll The Tape: How To Fix Justin Herbert; How Kenneth Walker Fixed KC’s Offense

This young NFL season has largely been a tale of two different weeks. But some successes and struggles have held firm through two games.

Each week, I dive into the All-22 coaches’ film before offering a few insights to watch. Here are four developments that could be long-term storylines.

Two weeks into the season, you better believe that NFL coaches, scouts and executives are taking a long, hard look at the All-22 coaches’ tape to see why a top-five quarterback is severely struggling under play-design guru Mike McDaniel. 

The snazzy pre-snap motions and exotic formations haven’t ignited a Los Angeles Chargers offense expected to light up scoreboards around the league. Their revamped playbook has also produced by far the worst version of Justin Herbert that the NFL has seen. The seventh-year pro has a sub-60% completion rate for the first time in his career, and his 71.6 passer rating is more than 20 points lower than his career low (93.2 in 2023).  

After studying the All-22 coaches’ tape, I noticed the Chargers’ increased use of Pistol formations hasn’t effectively blended the smash-mouth offense Jim Harbaugh wants with the “spread and shred” system that helped turn Tua Tagovailoa into an efficient playmaking machine under McDaniel. 

Herbert lacks the ball-handling skills of the diminutive Tagovailoa, and his slow trigger finder has led to more off-target throws from the ultra-talented gunslinger than we are used to seeing. More reps may improve his efficiency, but the Pro Bowler must improve his pocket efficiency to take advantage of the space created by the misdirection and deception. Additionally, Herbert will need his supporting cast to gain better separation on the perimeter and provide better pocket protection. 

Against the Las Vegas Raiders this past Sunday, Herbert was pressured on 54.8% of his dropbacks, completing 15 of 27 passes for 253 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions. With his receivers unable to create separation against tight coverage, Herbert extended his slump to 0-for-7 with two interceptions on tight-window throws this season. While some of the struggles clearly fall on the Chargers’ inconsistent receiving corps, elite quarterbacks routinely throw their guys open with pinpoint passes. Herbert simply hasn’t been able to connect with his playmakers through the first two games of the season. 

Part of Herbert’s struggles might be attributed to a greater emphasis on deep balls. The Chargers have pushed the ball downfield more than normal, with Herbert averaging 10.2 air yards per attempt. Although he has been effective in targeting Ladd McConkey (87.5% completion rate, 113 yards and a score) on downfield throws, the Chargers’ lack of playmakers around the super-slot receiver has bogged down an offense with more big-play potential than it has shown. 

Looking for solutions, I would expect the Chargers to scale back the exotics and emphasize the quarterback’s favorite plays. Given his inconsistencies and dismal production, McDaniel’s top priority is to get the franchise quarterback into a rhythm early. Whether he features more quicks and “catch-and-throw” passes to help him string together completions or showcases his favorite concepts with various motions and formations masking the play, the eclectic playcaller must revamp his approach to help his best player rediscover his magic.  

With an 0-3 start likely squashing the Chargers’ playoff hopes, McDaniel must find a way to spark his struggling quarterback before Sunday’s showdown at Buffalo. 

After 10 months of rehab from a season-ending knee injury suffered in Week 11 of his sophomore season, Michael Penix Jr. will finally have a chance to showcase his talents in Kevin Stefanski’s offense on Thursday against the Packers. 

The left-handed gunslinger will step into a play-action-heavy system that primarily operates from under center. Through the first two games of the 2026 season, the Atlanta Falcons have averaged a 41.9% under-center rate. Although the offense has struggled mightily with Cooper Rush and Jack Strand at quarterback, inserting Penix gives the 0-2 Falcons a more explosive pocket passer who hunts big plays. 

Last season, Penix averaged 8.9 air yards per attempt, seventh-highest among qualified quarterbacks, per Next Gen Stats. In his abbreviated second season, he led the NFL in targeting receivers between 10 and 19 air yards (30.4% rate). The aggressive approach has served the lefty well when targeting Drake London, with the supersized receiver averaging 2.9 yards per route run — the third-highest mark in the league (min. 200 routes). 

In studying last year’s All-22 coaches’ tape, Penix looked best operating from the Pistol, which played to his strengths as a deceptive ball-handler with A-plus arm talent. The No. 8 pick in the 2025 draft routinely targeted tight ends and running backs on quick releases to the flat following run-action fakes in the backfield. When defenders jumped those routes, he consistently found the open receiver at the intermediate range. With so much hidden yardage available on various “catch-and-run” concepts, the Falcons’ offense should improve with Penix finding open targets behind ultra-aggressive linebackers and safeties. 

If Penix can also punish opponents with his high-arcing deep ball, Atlanta could quickly be back in business as a competitive squad in a winnable NFC South. 

The Kansas City Chiefs made a blockbuster move to acquire Kenneth Walker III as a marquee free agent. The Super Bowl LX MVP has been as good as advertised as an RB1, totaling 369 scrimmage yards and two total touchdowns on 56 touches through just two games. Although it is no surprise K9 has made an immediate impact as a versatile playmaker out of the backfield, the Chiefs’ offensive makeover has showcased his talents in a way few imagined. 

Against the Denver Broncos in Week 1, Walker tallied 148 rushing yards on 15 carries from under-center formations, per Next Gen Stats. The return to old-school football allowed the fifth-year pro to become the first Chiefs’ running back to total more than 62 yards on under-center runs since 2020. With Walker grooving on throwback plays, Mahomes took 26 of 67 snaps from under center, while the Chiefs ran the ball on 52.2% of all plays. 

In addition to sparking the creativity of the Chiefs’ coaches with his versatility as a playmaker, the veteran back has transformed the running game into a big-play machine, with his elusiveness posing problems for defenders in space. Walker leads the NFL with 29 forced missed tackles. That’s five more than any other player through Week 2 since at least the 2018 season. 

Looking at the All-22 coaches’ tape from the Chiefs’ first two games, Walker’s vision, balance, body control and burst stand out. The 5-foot-9, 211-pounder demonstrates explosive stop-and-start quickness to scoot through holes, but also possesses the speed to take it the distance from anywhere on the field. As the Chiefs combine his dynamic downhill running ability with Mahomes’ athleticism and explosive arm talent on the move, opponents are having a much tougher time defending a KC offense that had grown stale in recent years. But with Walker and a more balanced offensive approach sparking the Chiefs to a 2-0 start, the rest of the NFL is taking notice. It just remains to be seen how this all manifests.

In a league that doesn’t properly value or reward running backs, it’s fair to say the Super Bowl hero has been worth every penny as a prized free agent. 

It hasn’t taken long for two-time All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to deliver a positive return on the Cincinnati Bengals’ hefty investment this past spring. After being traded by the Giants straight up for the No. 10 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Lawrence has spearheaded a defensive turnaround that has “Who Dey?!” fans dreaming of a return to the Super Bowl. 

The 6-foot-5, 350-pounder has transformed Cincy’s defense with his disruptive presence as a massive run-stopper with pass-rush skills. Lawrence blows through double teams with his explosive strength and power, but also flashes enough first-step quickness to split the crease when aligned in a tilt position. He stuffed Houston RB David Montgomery on fourth-and-inches in the second quarter this past weekend, showcasing his dominance at the point of attack. 

It looks to me like “Sexy Dexy” is back.

With Lawrence aligning beside former Pro Bowler Jonathan Allen on the interior, the Bengals have successfully stopped the run, holding opponents to 74.5 rushing yards per game. The suffocation on early downs has enabled the Bengals to hunt opposing quarterbacks on obvious passing downs, leading to more sacks and pressure from an active, aggressive defensive front. As the veteran Lawrence’s destructive potential forces opponents to double-team him at the line, the rest of the Bengals’ defensive line has dominated one-on-one matchups, with defensive coordinator Al Golden using stunts and games to create favorable angles. 

Against the Texans, the Bengals generated 27 pressures and four sacks, while registering a staggeringly low 13.3% blitz rate, per the Associated Press. The four-man pressure approach allowed the Bengals to sit back in low-risk coverage that rarely concedes “explosives” on the perimeter. Although C.J. Stroud passed for 353 yards, he averaged 6.4 yards per attempt and recorded just five completions of 20 yards or more. The combination of run stops, pass rushes, and stingy coverage kept the Texans in check — they managed just two field goals — despite their quarterback’s impressive totals. 

If Lawrence continues to own the line of scrimmage from the nose tackle position, the Bengals’ defense will make life miserable for quarterbacks and playcallers around the league.