HOUSTON – Justin Herbert sat motionless in his locker chair, his hands on his knees and a blank stare on his face. Although he didn’t look like it, he was listening.
Defensive lineman Morgan Fox was sitting on the floor to Herbert’s right. Fox was speaking in hushed tones to the Los Angeles Chargers quarterback.
“I told him I was proud of him,” Fox said. “I don’t want to go to war with anyone. He’s probably the best quarterback I’ve ever played with. He’s great. He is incredibly talented. “I just told them to keep their head up.”
About a minute later, Fox appeared, hugged Herbert and walked to his locker on the other side of the room.
Then Herbert was alone. I left my thoughts. I left with the unbearable pain of yet another playoff appearance.
The Chargers lost 32-12 to the Houston Texans on Saturday at NRG Stadium. A dramatic turnaround engineered by coach Jim Harbaugh ended with a whimper in the wild card round. Herbert threw four interceptions. He has never turned the ball over more than twice in any game during his professional career.
“I let the team down,” Herbert said.
Go deeper
Texas picked Herbert four times in a 32-12 wild card game.
Herbert is always responsible after any loss occurs. For the most part, he’s just a good teammate. This time his assessment was correct.
He had the worst performance of his career in the biggest game of his career.
“No one feels worse than me,” Herbert said.
Inevitable questions and criticism await. This is the nature of the position he holds. Such is the nature of the huge contract he signed.
He’ll be hearing that noise for at least another 12 months until his next opportunity to win in the playoffs.
Herbert is incredibly talented. No quarterback in NFL history has thrown for more yards in five seasons. He does things on the football field that few humans can do. But players are ultimately judged on how they perform when the lights are brightest and a championship is at stake. Herbert has languished in the grand stages and is currently 0-2 in the playoffs.
Herbert’s last postseason appearance was in 2022. He helped build a 27-0 lead against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the wild card round. The charger collapsed. Herbert missed a wide-open Keenan Allen in the end zone late in the first half of the game. But Herbert played well enough for the Chargers to win. We couldn’t run the ball in the second half. They committed bone-breaking penalty after bone-breaking penalty as part of their defense loosening up.
Saturday was different. No nuance or context can explain this. Herbert looked tight. He made uncharacteristically bad decisions. He threw the ball uncharacteristically inaccurately.
Herbert threw three interceptions in 504 attempts during the regular season. His four interceptions against Texas came on 32 attempts. He completed just 14 passes. His 43.8 completion percentage was the worst of his career. According to TruMedia, he added an average of minus-0.59 expected points per dropback, the lowest of his career in every game he started and finished.
Harbaugh said Herbert played “like he always did.”
“It’s an absolute beast,” Harbaugh added.
But that’s not true.
The Chargers led 6-0 early in the second quarter. Texas quarterback CJ Stroud threw a throw down the left sideline to no one in particular. Cornerback Deane Leonard was waiting, came down to make the interception, and tapped both toes inbounds along the sideline.
The Chargers took over at the Texans’ 40-yard line. On the first play of the possession, the Chargers rolled Herbert right on a designed bootleg. The pressure was evident on Herbert’s face as the match continued. He was caught off balance by receiver Quentin Johnston on a corner route across the field. It was an unnecessarily risky pitch. It collapsed. Texas cornerback Kamari Lassiter picked it up. It took the Chargers less than five yards to get into Cameron Dicker’s field goal range. This throw got a point on the board.
“We have to do a better job of throwing the ball and throwing it farther,” Herbert said. “We have to do a better job of preventing harm.”
that @Houston Texans Take it back right away! Kamari Lassiter with options.
📺: #LACvsHOU On CBS/Paramount+
📱: Streaming #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/Up3GcnjfrY— NFL (@NFL) January 11, 2025
The Chargers were on the right hash of this snap. Harbaugh said after the game that the Chargers should only call this play if they are on the left hash, shortening the throw.
“I take responsibility for that,” Harbaugh said, despite offensive coordinator Greg Roman calling the plays.
Late in the third quarter, the Chargers took control at their own 28-yard line and were down 13-6. Herbert took a shotgun snap. He looked to his left to see receiver Ladd McConkey running a return route out of the slot. Herbert pumped twice. He didn’t fully reset his feet. And Herbert’s pitch sailed high through McConkey’s hands. Texans safety Eric Murray picked it off and returned it for a touchdown.
“It’s up to me to pitch better,” Herbert said.
I took it to my crib! @Houston Texans Extend your lead.
📺: #LACvsHOU On CBS/Paramount+
📱: Streaming #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/FZbCiIeG7u— NFL (@NFL) January 12, 2025
Herbert was hampered again on his next drive, but it was not his fault. Will Dissly dropped the ball from his hand. It erupted and Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. intercepted it.
Herbert threw his fourth interception late in garbage time. Receiver DJ Chark was open on the move. Herbert didn’t put enough effort into his pass. Stingley, an All-Pro, picked up the second game.
“It’s up to me as the quarterback to be able to pass the ball,” Herbert said.
The Chargers offense was given opportunity after opportunity through the first three quarters. The unit wasted everyone.
Most of these were in Herbert, but not all. The Chargers were dominant at the line of scrimmage. The Texans defensive line, including edge rushers Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, dominated the game. Right tackle Joe Alt had one of his worst games of the season. Right guard Jamaree Salyer was bullied on several pass-blocking snaps. Herbert was either running for his life or blocking many dropbacks.
“You can’t let Justin get hit that much,” left guard Zion Johnson said.
But Herbert has dealt with this kind of pressure before. He did that most recently in Week 16 against the Denver Broncos when he was pressured on 54.1% of his dropbacks.
The Chargers were desperate for playmaking from their best playmaker. And Herbert fell woefully short. He was in no hurry. The game begged for a scramble to keep Houston passes off balance.
“He has to be able to complete the throwing motion.” Harbaugh said. “We didn’t put him in a position to do that well enough.”
Herbert needs more weapons. McConkey caught nine passes for 197 yards and a touchdown. No other Chargers player caught more than two passes. This will be the focus of the organization this offseason. They need to add receivers and tight ends.
Dissly had a great season, but had two critical falls. The interception was his second drop. The first came in the first quarter when they were down 2-19. Safety Alohi Gilman had just fumbled the Texans’ opening offensive play, setting up the Chargers in opposing territory.
Herbert escaped pressure and found Dissly near the left sideline. Dissly would have been closer to first down yardage. The catch would have at least made the ensuing third down more manageable. The Chargers settled for a field goal.
“We scored,” said JK Dobbins, who had nine carries for 26 yards, including just one carry in the second half.
There were other missed opportunities at all three stages. The Texans went on a 6-0 run late in the first half and were down 3-16 before recording 20 hits of their own. Stroud dropped a shotgun snap. The ball was loose. But Stroud picked up the ball and escaped down the right side, finding receiver Xavier Hutchinson for a 34-yard gain. This sparked a 99-yard touchdown drive that ended with a Nico Collins touchdown reception. Collins had seven catches for 122 yards. Cornerback Kristian Fulton struggled to match up with bigger receivers.
Safety Derwin James Jr. said coverage of Stroud’s scoop-and-sling was “a little off” because of the fumbled snap.
“It changed the direction of the game,” James said.
“It got his way,” Gilman said.
“Just like they drew!”
CJ Stroud gets things done even after bad things happen 😱
📺: #LACvsHOU On CBS/Paramount+
📱: Streaming #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/II2oMnkbM1— NFL (@NFL) January 11, 2025
Early in the second half, the Chargers faced 4th-and-2 from the Texans’ 34-yard line. They got the ball back on another turnover, this one a forced fumble and recovery by safety Tony Jefferson. Harbaugh went for it. Herbert took the snap under center and faked a handoff to running back Hassan Haskins. Johnston was running a whip route to the right and feinted inside before cutting to the flat. Herbert threw to Johnston, who was caught on the line by Stingley. The pass went incomplete. Johnston did not run his route to the first down marker.
Harbaugh said the play’s design required Johnston to “go deeper.”
“Sometimes it’s the release or the coverage that makes an impact,” Harbaugh added. “I wanted to call another play or kick a field goal there.”
It was a game of missed opportunities. The Chargers had a blocked punt and an extra point blocked on special teams. The extra point was returned for Texas’ two-point conversion, turning McConkey’s 86-yard touchdown into a four-point swing.
The end result was Herbert missing the biggest opportunity of his career to date.
“He’s the best quarterback I’ve ever played with.” Alt said.
“Our hearts beat until 10 o’clock,” center Bradley Bozeman said. “He is the leader of this team. He is a really good football player.”
Herbert is now following the early career trajectory of Peyton Manning, the player with most passing yards in his first five seasons.
Manning made the playoffs three times in his first five seasons. He went 0-3. In his fifth season, his Indianapolis Colts lost 41-0 to the New York Jets in the wild card round. Manning completed 14 of 31 passes for 137 yards and two interceptions.
The next season, Manning won MVP. The Colts won two playoff games and advanced to the AFC Championship Game.
There is precedent for extremely talented quarterbacks struggling early in their careers before getting over the hump.
But like Manning, Herbert will face questions and criticism.
Until he shows up.
“I put the team in danger,” Herbert said. “It’s up to me to get better and keep moving forward.”
(Photo: Brandon Sloter / Getty Images)
