HOUSTON — Justin Herbert sat in a chair at his depot, immobile, palms on his knees, a unfilled stare on his face. It didn’t glance find it irresistible, however he used to be listening.
Defensive lineman Morgan Fox used to be sitting at the ground to Herbert’s proper. Fox used to be speaking in a hushed sound to the Los Angeles Chargers quarterback.
“I just told him I’m proud of him,” Fox mentioned. “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’s incredibly talented. Just told him to keep his head up.”
Upcoming a few slight, Fox popped up, gave Herbert a hug and walked to his depot at the alternative aspect of the room.
Nearest Herbert used to be unwanted. Left along with his personal ideas. Gone with the irrepressible stinging of some other early playoff walk.
The Chargers lost to the Houston Texans 32-12 on Saturday at NRG Stadium. A dramatic turnaround engineered via schoolmaster Jim Harbaugh ended with a whimper within the wild-card spherical. Herbert threw 4 interceptions. He had by no means grew to become the ball over greater than two times in any sport in his skilled profession.
“I let the team down,” Herbert mentioned.
GO DEEPER
Texans pick off Herbert 4 times in 32-12 wild-card blowout: Takeaways
Herbert at all times takes the blame nearest losses. Maximum occasions, he’s simply being a excellent teammate. This week, his evaluation is correct.
He performed the worst sport of his profession within the largest sport of his profession.
“No one feels worse than I do,” Herbert mentioned.
What awaits is an unavoidable avalanche of questions and complaint. It’s the nature of the location he performs. It’s the nature of the massive pledge he signed.
He’s going to pay attention the noise for no less than some other three hundred and sixty five days, till his nearest attainable prospect at a playoff win.
Herbert is outrageously proficient. Negative quarterback in NFL historical past has thrown for extra yards via 5 seasons. He does issues on a soccer farmland that few people, if any, have ever been ready to do. However athletes are in the long run judged on how they carry out when the lighting fixtures are brightest, when a championship hangs within the stability. Herbert wilted at the brilliant level, and he’s now 0-2 within the playoffs.
Herbert’s latter postseason look got here in 2022. He helped create a 27-0 manage over the Jacksonville Jaguars within the wild-card spherical. The Chargers collapsed. Herbert ignored a wide-open Keenan Allen finally zone past due within the first part of that sport. However Herbert performed smartly enough quantity for the Chargers to win. They may no longer run the ball in the second one part. They dedicated backbreaking penalty nearest backbreaking penalty as a part of a defensive unraveling.
Saturday used to be other. Negative quantity of nuance or context can provide an explanation for this one away. Herbert regarded tight. He made uncharacteristically malicious selections. He made uncharacteristically faulty throws.
Herbert had thrown 3 interceptions on 504 makes an attempt within the habitual season. His 4 interceptions in opposition to the Texans got here on 32 makes an attempt. He finished simply 14 passes. His 43.8 of completion share used to be the worst of his profession. He averaged minus-0.59 anticipated issues added in step with dropback, in keeping with TruMedia, the bottom mark of his profession in any sport he began and completed.
Harbaugh mentioned Herbert performed “like he always does.”
“Complete beast,” Harbaugh added.
However this is simply no longer true.
Early in the second one quarter, the Chargers led 6-0. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud floated a throw i’m sick the left sideline to no person particularly. Cornerback Deane Leonard used to be ready and got here i’m sick with the interception, tapping each feet inbounds alongside the sideline.
The Chargers took over on the Texans’ 40-yard form. At the first play games of the ownership, the Chargers rolled Herbert out to the precise on a designed bootleg. There used to be drive in Herbert’s face, as there used to be all sport lengthy. He threw off stability to receiver Quentin Johnston on a nook course, the entire means around the farmland. It used to be an unnecessarily dangerous throw. It used to be underthrown. Texans cornerback Kamari Lassiter picked it off. The Chargers wanted fewer than 5 yards to get into Cameron Dicker’s farmland objective dimension. This throw took issues off the board.
“Got to be better about that, throw the ball away, throw it further,” Herbert mentioned. “Got to do a better job of not putting it in harm’s way.”
The @HoustonTexans speed it proper again! Kamari Lassiter with the select.
📺: #LACvsHOU on CBS/Paramount+
📱: Current on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/Up3GcnjfrY— NFL (@NFL) January 11, 2025
The Chargers had been at the proper hash for this snap. Harbaugh mentioned nearest the sport that this play games will have to were known as provided that the Chargers had been at the left hash, shortening the throw.
“I take accountability for that one,” Harbaugh mentioned, even if it’s offensive coordinator Greg Roman calling the performs.
Overdue within the 1/3 quarter, the Chargers took over at their 28-yard form, trailing 13-6. Herbert took the shotgun snap. He regarded left at receiver Ladd McConkey, who ran a comeback course out of the slot. Herbert double-pumped. He didn’t absolutely reset his ft. And Herbert’s throw sailed top and thru McConkey’s palms. Texans protection Eric Murray picked it off and returned it for a landing.
“That’s on me to make a better throw,” Herbert mentioned.
Took it to the crib! @HoustonTexans lengthen their manage.
📺: #LACvsHOU on CBS/Paramount+
📱: Current on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/FZbCiIeG7u— NFL (@NFL) January 12, 2025
Herbert used to be intercepted once more at the nearest force, even though this used to be no longer his fault. Will Dissly dropped a ball that used to be in his palms. It squirted via, and Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. intercepted it.
Herbert threw a fourth interception past due in rubbish week. Receiver DJ Chark used to be at leisure on a proceed course. Herbert didn’t put enough quantity at the cross. Stingley, an All-Professional, got here i’m sick along with his moment select of the sport.
“It’s on me as a quarterback to be able to deliver the ball,” Herbert mentioned.
The Chargers offense used to be given alternative nearest alternative during the first 3 quarters. The unit squandered each and every one.
These types of had been on Herbert, however no longer they all. The Chargers had been overmatched at the form of scrimmage. The Texans defensive form, together with edge rushers Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, ruled the sport. Proper take on Joe Alt performed one among his worst video games of the season. Proper shield Jamaree Salyer used to be bullied on more than one pass-blocking snaps. Herbert used to be operating for his occasion or taking photographs on a lot of his dropbacks.
“We can’t let Justin get hit that many times,” left shield Zion Johnson mentioned.
However Herbert has weathered this type of drive earlier than. He did it as not too long ago as Life 16 in opposition to the Denver Broncos, when he used to be burdened on 54.1 % of his dropbacks.
The Chargers had been determined for playmaking from their perfect playmaker. And Herbert fell disastrously cut. He didn’t have a dashing aim. The sport used to be begging for a scramble to hold the Houston cross hasten off stability.
“He’s got to be able to finish a throwing motion,” Harbaugh mentioned. “We didn’t put him in the position to do that enough.”
Herbert wishes extra guns. McConkey stuck 9 passes for 197 yards and a landing. Negative alternative Chargers participant stuck greater than two passes. That will have to catch the attention of the group this offseason. It has so as to add receivers and a decent finish.
Dissly had a commendable season, however he had two the most important drops. The interception used to be his moment let go. The primary got here on a second-and-19 within the first quarter. Protection Alohi Gilman had simply pressured a fumble at the Texans’ opening offensive play games, surroundings the Chargers up in opposing length.
Herbert escaped drive and located Dissly related the left sideline. Dissly would were near to first-down yardage. A catch would have no less than made the following 1/3 i’m sick extra manageable. The Chargers settled for a farmland objective.
“We got to score,” mentioned J.Okay. Dobbins, who had 9 carries for 26 yards, together with just one elevate in the second one part.
There have been alternative ignored alternatives, in all 3 stages. The Texans trailed 6-0 past due within the first part and confronted a third-and-16, sponsored up within their very own 20. Stroud dropped the shotgun snap. The ball used to be reduce. However Stroud used to be ready to pick out the ball up, departure to his proper and in finding receiver Xavier Hutchinson for a 34-yard achieve. That sparked a 99-yard landing force, capped off via a Nico Collins landing reception. Collins had seven catches for 122 yards. Cornerback Kristian Fulton struggled to compare up with the big-bodied receiver.
Protection Derwin James Jr. mentioned the protection used to be “a little off” on Stroud’s scoop-and-sling as a result of the fumbled snap.
“It kind of turned the game,” James mentioned.
“It went his way,” Gilman mentioned.
“JUST LIKE THEY DREW IT UP!”
C.J. Stroud makes issues occur nearest the malicious snap 😱
📺: #LACvsHOU on CBS/Paramount+
📱: Current on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/II2oMnkbM1— NFL (@NFL) January 11, 2025
Early in the second one part, the Chargers confronted a fourth-and-2 from the Texans’ 34-yard form. That they had gotten the ball again on some other giveover, this one a pressured fumble and medication from protection Tony Jefferson. Harbaugh went for it. Herbert took an under-center snap and fauxed a handoff to operating again Hassan Haskins. Johnston used to be operating a shoot path to the precise aspect, feinting to the interior earlier than slicing to the flat. Herbert threw to Johnston, who used to be jammed on the form via Stingley. The cross fell incomplete. Johnston didn’t run his path to the first-down marker.
Harbaugh mentioned the design of the play games known as for Johnston “to be deeper.”
“Sometimes the release, the coverage affects that,” Harbaugh added. “I would have liked to have called a different play or kicked the field goal there.”
It used to be a sport affected by ignored alternatives. The Chargers had a punt cancelled and an residue level cancelled on particular groups. The residue level used to be returned for a Texans two-point conversion, turning a McConkey 86-yard landing into only a four-point swing.
The result used to be Herbert lacking the largest alternative of his profession up to now.
“He’s the best quarterback I’ve ever played with,” Alt mentioned.
“Our heart beats through 10,” middle Bradley Bozeman mentioned. “He’s the leader of this team. He’s a damn good football player.”
Herbert is now following the early profession trajectory of Peyton Manning, the participant he handed for many passing yards via his first 5 seasons.
Manning made the playoffs 3 times in his first 5 seasons. He went 0-3. In his 5th season, his Indianapolis Colts misplaced 41-0 to the Brandnew York Jets within the wild-card spherical. Manning finished 14 of 31 passes for 137 yards and two interceptions.
The nearest season, Manning received the MVP. The Colts received two playoff video games and made it to the AFC Championship Sport.
There may be precedent for an ubertalented quarterback suffering early in his profession earlier than getting over the hump.
However identical to Manning, Herbert will face questions and complaint.
Till he presentations up.
“I put the team in jeopardy,” Herbert mentioned. “That’s on me to get better and keep pushing forward.”
(Photograph: Brandon Sloter / Getty Photographs)
