Rams Safety Slams Herbert: "He Was Throwing Deli Meat

Rams safety Quentin Lake said Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was “throwing deli meat out there” during Los Angeles’ 24-9 loss to the Rams last Sunday.

Lake made the comment on the St. Brown Podcast, hosted by Detroit Lions wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Equanimeous St. Brown.

“He was throwing deli meat out there,” Lake said.

“He’s seeing ghosts. I don’t know what’s going on, but we knew we were gonna get a couple. At least one.”

Lake intercepted Herbert in the game and returned it 46 yards to set up a Rams field goal.

The loss dropped the Chargers to 0-7 on the season.

Herbert completed 24 of 32 passes for 257 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions.

He has now thrown 10 interceptions in seven games, the most in the NFL.

The Chargers have scored the fewest points in the league heading into Week 9.

They are currently on a streak of 27 straight possessions without a touchdown.

Herbert has gone without a touchdown pass in each of the last two games.

When asked about Lake’s remarks on Wednesday, Herbert said he had not heard them.

“I haven’t looked into it, haven’t heard anything about it, so I can’t really make a comment about it,” Herbert told reporters.

“We’re really just focused on what’s going on in the building, playing football and doing what we can and doing our best to, you know, go put our best effort out on Sunday. And that’s all that really matters. Anything outside of that is out of our control.”

Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh pushed back on Lake’s characterization.

“As far as anybody’s opinion, I don’t see that,” Harbaugh said.

“Everybody’s entitled to their opinion. Not what I see.”

Harbaugh added that he felt Herbert “did his job exceptionally well,” while acknowledging the two throws the quarterback would like to have back.

The Chargers’ focus remains on cleaning up the turnovers and finding the end zone more consistently.

Herbert will look to snap his touchdown drought this Sunday against the Houston Texans.

Some members of the Texans defense will likely be on the lookout for interceptions of their own.

Bleacher Report NFL analyst Brent Sobleski gave Herbert a failing grade for his performance in Week 8.

Herbert posted a QBR of 57.7 against the Rams.

He also fumbled once, though the Chargers recovered.

Herbert added four carries for 15 yards on the ground.

The Rams turned Herbert’s two interceptions into 10 points.

Aside from those 10 points, the Chargers held the Rams to 14 points.

The Chargers ran the ball 25 times for 64 yards, averaging 2.6 yards per carry.

That lack of a running game led to obvious passing situations on later downs.

Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel has struggled to find success as a play caller this year.

Herbert has thrown for 1,398 yards with five touchdowns and 10 interceptions through seven games.

The Chargers are currently on a 27-possession streak without a touchdown.

That streak spans multiple games and has become a major talking point around the league.

The last time the Chargers scored an offensive touchdown was in the first quarter of their Week 6 game.

Since then, the offense has managed only field goals and turnovers.

The Chargers’ 0-7 start is the worst in the NFL this season.

Herbert was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft out of Oregon.

He signed a five-year, $262.5 million contract extension in July 2023.

That contract made him one of the highest-paid players in the league at the time.

The Chargers hired Jim Harbaugh as head coach in January 2026.

Harbaugh previously coached the San Francisco 49ers and the University of Michigan.

He led Michigan to a national championship in the 2023 season.

The Chargers also hired Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator in 2026.

McDaniel previously served as head coach of the Miami Dolphins.

He was fired by the Dolphins after the 2025 season.

The Chargers’ offensive struggles have raised questions about McDaniel’s play calling.

Herbert and McDaniel do not appear to be on the same page, according to analysts.

The Chargers will face the Houston Texans on Sunday.

The Texans defense has 12 interceptions this season, tied for fourth in the NFL.