With Justin Herbert sidelined, Chargers struggling to install new offense

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — In a joint scrimmage against the crosstown Rams on Sunday, Chargers backup quarterback Easton Stick tried to do his best Justin Herbert impersonation. 

Afterward, however, Stick acknowledged the obvious: It's hard to mimic one of the most talented throwers in the NFL. 

"Once the ball is snapped, I can't play like Justin," Stick said. "There are very few people in the world that can do what Justin Herbert does. So after the ball is snapped, we're just playing.

"But I think it's trying to make sure I'm communicating the way Justin will, so everybody's on the same page." 

Herbert will be in a walking boot for two weeks as he rests a plantar fascia issue in his right foot. He is expected to be ready for the start of the regular season, and the team believes the painful injury will not linger.

With Herbert out, the Chargers offense appeared mired in mud against the Rams. The Bolts kept things simple, sticking with vanilla base plays as they continued to install the fourth new playbook in five years for Herbert.

New offensive coordinator Greg Roman said he stayed with the foundational plays so his players could focus on executing fundamentals and fulfilling their assignments, allowing coaches to evaluate their play.

"We're not trying to manage scenarios," Roman said. "Orchestrating sequences of events is coming. That's called the regular season. Right now, what we're trying to do is get great work in, evaluate some of the younger guys and really sharpen our tools."

It's not just the playbook that's new for the Chargers. They have two new starting receivers, two new starting tight ends, two new running backs, a new right tackle, a new player at center and plenty of new coaches watching and evaluating from