Home Sports Chargers’ Justin Herbert falls short and remains winless in postseason: ‘I let the team down’

Chargers’ Justin Herbert falls short and remains winless in postseason: ‘I let the team down’

by Eclipsnews
0 comments

HOUSTON – Justin Herbert sat motionless in a chair near his locker, with his hands on his knees and a blank look on his face. It didn’t seem like it, but he listened.

Defensive lineman Morgan Fox sat on the ground to Herbert’s right. Fox chatted in hushed tones with the Los Angeles Chargers quarterback.

“I just told him I’m proud of him,” Fox said. ‘There’s no one else I’d rather go to war with. That he’s probably the best quarterback I’ve ever played with. He’s great. He is incredibly talented. I just told him to keep his head up.”

After about a minute, Fox showed up, gave Herbert a hug and walked to his locker on the other side of the room.

Then Herbert was alone. Left with his own thoughts. Left with the unstoppable incentive of another early exit from the play-offs.

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 had never turned the ball over more than twice in any match in his professional career.

“I let the team down,” Herbert said.

GO DEEPER

Texans beat Herbert four times in 32-12 wild card blowout: Takeaways

Herbert always takes the blame after losses. Mostly he’s just a good teammate. This time his assessment is correct.

He had the worst game of his career in the biggest game of his career.

“Nobody feels worse than me,” Herbert said.

What awaits us is an inevitable avalanche of questions and criticism. It’s the nature of the position he plays. It is the nature of the immense contract he signed.

He’ll hear the noise for at least another 12 months until his next potential shot at a playoff victory.

Herbert is extremely talented. No quarterback in NFL history has thrown for more yards through five seasons. He does things on a football field that few people have ever been able to do. But athletes are ultimately judged on how they perform when the lights are brightest, when a championship is on the line. Herbert wilted on the big stage and he is now 0-2 in the playoffs.

Herbert’s last postseason appearance came in 2022. He helped build a 27-0 lead over the Jacksonville Jaguars in the wild-card round. The Chargers collapsed. Herbert missed a wide-open Keenan Allen in the end zone late in the first half of that game. But Herbert played well enough for the Chargers to win. They couldn’t run the ball in the second half. They committed grueling penalties after grueling penalties as part of a defensive unraveling.

Saturday was different. No amount of nuance or context can explain this away. Herbert looked intently. He made unusually bad decisions. He made unusually inaccurate throws.

Herbert had thrown three interceptions on 504 attempts in the regular season. His four interceptions against the Texans came on 32 attempts. He completed only 14 passes. His completion percentage of 43.8 was the worst of his career. According to TruMedia, he averaged minus 0.59 expected points added per dropback, the lowest mark of his career in every game he started and finished.

Harbaugh said Herbert played “like he always does.”

“Complete beast,” Harbaugh added.

But that’s just not true.

Early in the second quarter, the Chargers led 6-0. Texans quarterback CJ Stroud threw a throw down the left sideline to no one in particular. Cornerback Deane Leonard waited and came down with the interception, tapping in with both toes along the sideline.

The Chargers took over at the Texans’ 40-yard line. On the first possession, the Chargers rolled Herbert to the right on a designed bootleg. There was pressure on Herbert’s face as it lasted the entire game. He balanced out to receiver Quentin Johnston on a corner route, all the way down the field. It was an unnecessarily risky throw. It was undermined. Texans cornerback Kamari Lassiter grabbed the ball. The Chargers needed less than five yards to get into Cameron Dicker’s field goal range. This throw took points off the board.

“You have to be better at that, throwing the ball and throwing it further,” Herbert said. “I have to do my best not to jeopardize it.”

The Chargers were on the right hash for this photo. Harbaugh said after the game that this play should have only been called if the Chargers were on the left side, shortening the throw.

“I take responsibility for that,” Harbaugh said, even though it is offensive coordinator Greg Roman who is in charge.

Late in the third quarter, the Chargers took over at their 28-yard line, trailing 13-6. Herbert took the shotgun snap. He looked left at receiver Ladd McConkey, who was running a comeback route out of the slot. Herbert double pumped. He hasn’t completely reset his feet. And Herbert’s throw sailed high through McConkey’s hands. Texans safety Eric Murray took it away and returned it for a touchdown.

“It’s up to me to make a better throw,” Herbert said.

Herbert was intercepted again on the next drive, although this was not his fault. Will Dissly dropped a ball he was holding. It squirted through and Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. intercepted it.

Herbert threw a fourth interception late in garbage time. Receiver DJ Chark was open on a go route. Herbert didn’t put enough on the pass. Stingley, an All-Pro, came up with his second pick of the game.

“It’s up to me as the quarterback to be able to deliver the ball,” Herbert said.

The Chargers offense had chance after chance through the first three quarters. The unit wasted everyone.

Most of these were on Herbert, but not all. The Chargers were outmatched 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 after blocking the pass several times. Herbert ran for his life or made shots on many of his dropbacks.

“We can’t let Justin get hit that many times,” left guard Zion Johnson said.

But Herbert has endured this kind of pressure before. He did it as recently as Week 16 against the Denver Broncos, when he was pressured on 54.1 percent of his dropbacks.

The Chargers were desperate for playmaking from their best playmaker. And Herbert came up disastrously short. He had no hasty attempt. The game begged for a battle to keep Houston’s pass rush off balance.

“He’s got to be able to finish a throwing motion,” Harbaugh said. “We didn’t put him in position enough to do that.”

Herbert needs more weapons. McConkey caught nine passes for 197 yards and a touchdown. No other Chargers player caught more than two passes. That should be a focus for the organization this season. It needs to add receivers and a tight end.

Dissly had a commendable season, but he had two crucial drops. The interception was his second drop. The first came on a second-and-19 in the first quarter. Safety Alohi Gilman had just forced a fumble during the Texans’ opening drive, putting the Chargers in enemy territory.

Herbert escaped the pressure and found Dissly on the left. Dissly would have almost reached the first distance. If anything, a catch would have made the ensuing third down more manageable. The Chargers settled for a field goal.

“We have to score,” said JK Dobbins, who had nine carries for 26 yards, including just one carry in the second half.

There were other missed opportunities, in all three phases. The Texans trailed 6-0 late in the first half and faced a third-and-16, backed up inside their own 20. Stroud dropped the shotgun snap. The ball was loose. But Stroud was able to pick up the ball, escape to the right and find receiver Xavier Hutchinson for a 34-yard gain. That led to a 99-yard touchdown drive capped by a Nico Collins touchdown reception. Collins had seven catches for 122 yards. Cornerback Kristian Fulton struggled to match the wide receiver.

Safety Derwin James Jr. said the coverage was “a little off” from Stroud’s scoop-and-sling because of the awkward snap.

“It changed the game a little bit,” James said.

“It went his way,” Gilman said.

Early in the second half, the Chargers faced a fourth-and-2 from the Texans’ 34-yard line. They had gotten the ball back on another turnover, this was a forced fumble and recovery from safety Tony Jefferson. Harbaugh went for it. Herbert made a tap under center and feigned a handoff to running back Hassan Haskins. Johnston whipped to the right, feinted inside before cutting to the flat. Herbert threw to Johnston, who was jammed at the line by Stingley. The pass fell incomplete. Johnston did not run his route to the first-down marker.

Harbaugh said the play’s design called for Johnston to “be deeper.”

“Sometimes the release, the reporting, affects that,” Harbaugh added. “I would have liked to have called a different action or kicked the field goal there.”

It was a match full of missed opportunities. The Chargers had a punt blocked and an extra point blocked on special teams. The extra point was returned for a Texans two-point conversion, turning an 86-yard McConkey touchdown into just 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 heart is beating through the 10,” center Bradley Bozeman said. “He is the leader of this team. He’s a damn good football player.”

Herbert is now following the early career trajectory of Peyton Manning, the player he passed for the most passing yards during 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 following season, Manning won the MVP. The Colts won two playoff games and reached the AFC Championship Game.

There’s precedent for a highly talented quarterback struggling early in his career 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)

You may also like

Leave a Comment

Experience a world of information in one place! Our site covers breaking news, beauty, lifestyle, entertainment, tech, and travel – your gateway to a diverse and enriching news landscape.

Subscribe our newsletter for latest lifestyle, tech update. Let's stay updated!

 
Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?
-
00:00
00:00
Update Required Flash plugin
-
00:00
00:00

Adblock Detected

Please support us by disabling your AdBlocker extension from your browsers for our website.