Houston — All good things must come to an end. What has been a successful first season for head coach Jim Harbaugh ended with a thud in the wild-card round of the playoffs, with a blowout loss to the Houston Texans, 32-12 last Saturday in Houston. The Chargers were eliminated from the playoffs with the loss, while the Texans will move on to second round of the playoffs to face the Kansas City Chiefs.
Quarterback Justin Herbert, who threw three interceptions in 17 regular season games, threw four interceptions in the playoff loss to the Texans. Tight end Will Dissly had two crucial drops and wide receiver Quentin Johnston had zero receptions and three drops. This was not Herbert's best day, but it was a team loss not an individual loss.
Herbert needs help on offense. Wide Receiver Ladd McConkey had 9 receptions for 197 yards and a touchdown reception. The other wide receivers had 2 receptions for 14 yards. The other receivers (including tight ends) had 5 receptions for 45 yards. The Chargers rushed for 50 yards on 18 carries, averaging just 2.8 yards per carry. Herbert was sacked four times, hit nine times, and was under constant pressure. No running game, no pass protection, and only one receiver to throw to. That's a recipe for disaster.
The Chargers dominated the ball and the game in the first quarter. They led 6-0 after one quarter, scoring on the opening drive of the game with a 56 yard, 10 play drive, that consumed 5:33 of the clock. The drive ended with a 35-yard field goal from kicker Cameron Dicker, giving the Chargers an early 3-0 lead.
On the first offensive play of the game for the Texans, quarterback CJ Stroud completed a short pass to wide receiver John Metchie III, who fumbled at the Texan 37-yard line, the fumble was recovered by Charger safety Alohi Gilman. The Chargers settled for a field goal after a drop by a wide-open Dissly.
The Chargers had a chance to add to their 6-0 lead in the second quarter after an interception of a Stroud errant pass by cornerback Deane Leonard at the Texans 40-yard line, but Herbert returned the favor with an interception near the goal line. The pass was intended for Quentin Johnston, but he was double covered.
Johnston did not go up and fight for it, but it was really a poor decision by Herbert to throw the ball in that area of the field at that time. That cost the Chargers an additional scoring opportunity and started to shift the momentum to the Texans.
The momentum really shifted late in the first half on a 3rd -and-16 from the Texans 17-yard line with 2:24 remaining in the first half. Stroud fumbled a high snap, was able to pick it up and scramble to his right, evading three Charger defenders and while on the run threw up a deep pass down the middle of the field to a wide-open Xavier Hutchinson for 34 yards and a first down on the Chargers 49-yard line.
Six plays later, Stroud connected with wide receiver Nico Collins for a 13-yard touchdown pass and the Texans took the lead 7-6 with 58 seconds remaining. The Texans went on to score 23 unanswered points to take a 23-6 lead and never looked back. The Texans added two field goal to increase their lead to 13-6 and a poorly thrown Herbert pass intended for McConkey resulted a in an interception and return of 38 yards for a touchdown by safety Eric Murray with 13 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
The Texans led 20-6 entering the fourth quarter. On the next offensive series for the Chargers, Herbert's perfect pass to Dissly in the right flat bounced off his hands and into the hands of cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., who returned the interception 54 yards to the Chargers 13-yard line. The Chargers' defense held the Texans to a field goal to extend their lead to 23-6.
"They were the better team today," Harbaugh said. "Congratulations to DeMeco Ryans (Houston head coach) and the Texans." On the subject of Herbert's performance in the game, Harbaugh added that, "He has to be able to finish a throwing motion. A quarterback has got to be able to do that. The edge pressure was really the best that we have seen. The pass rush was outstanding. I am proud of my guys, the way they fought in this game. Again, respect to the Texans. They had a better game. They were better prepared."
The Chargers now face another offseason that should be very active. The Chargers have over $75 million in salary cap space and 11 draft picks for the 2025 NFL draft. This has been a close team, and many have mentioned how enjoyable it has been to play for this Chargers team.
Safety Derwin James called this Chargers team, "The best team I have ever played on." Hats off to the coaches and the players all year long." Center Bradley Bozeman said, "We came in and we did some really good things. I hope I'm around next year. I love this place. I want to be here."
Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz have both done an excellent job in their first year with the organization, rebounding from a 5-12 season in 2023 under the previous leadership and some significant salary cap issues.
The Chargers will need an infusion of offensive talent at wide receiver, tight end, and running back. The offensive line needs depth. Linebacker Khalil Mack, who had two sacks in the game, is an unrestricted free agent next season and has to decide if he wants to return for another season.
At the age of 33, Mack could retire. The Chargers have a good young team and the future is bright, but they need to keep the talent and veteran leadership that a player like Mack brings to the team and the locker room.
Reader Comments(0)