In a game that will likely haunt the Los Angeles Chargers and their quarterback, Justin Herbert, the team suffered a staggering 32-12 defeat against the Houston Texans in the playoff showdown. Herbert's performance drew attention, finishing with a completion rate of just 43.8%, hitting only 14 out of 32 passes. This marked the worst completion percentage for a Charger in a playoff game since Philip Rivers in 2006 and tied for the third-worst in franchise history with a minimum of 20 attempts.
Herbert faced relentless pressure throughout the game, being sacked four times and pressured on 39% of his dropbacks. Despite throwing a league-low three interceptions during the regular season, he threw an unprecedented four interceptions in this playoff match. This made him the first player in NFL history to throw more interceptions in a playoff game than in the entire regular season, given a minimum of 200 attempts.
The troubles for Herbert began in the second quarter when he threw a pick-six, his first since 2022. The loss marks his second consecutive playoff defeat and echoes a previous embarrassing postseason loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars two seasons ago.
Despite the setback, Herbert's teammates and coach stood firmly behind him. Center Bradley Bozeman expressed unwavering support for Herbert's abilities:
"One of the best quarterbacks in the league. I was proud for him to be our quarterback this year. I wouldn't want anybody else." – Bradley Bozeman
Safety Alohi Gilman also defended Herbert's performance, emphasizing the team's belief in their quarterback:
"He's gonna get slack for it because people are going to say X, Y and Z, but we know he's a great quarterback. I wouldn't change a thing…. That's my guy. That's our quarterback." – Alohi Gilman
Chargers' Coach Jim Harbaugh acknowledged Herbert's struggle with finishing his throwing motion but took responsibility for not putting him in better positions:
"He's got to be able to finish a throwing motion," – Jim Harbaugh
"Quarterback's got to be able to do that, and we didn't put him in the position to do that enough." – Jim Harbaugh
Herbert himself admitted to his shortcomings in the game, accepting blame for the turnovers:
"You can't turn the ball over like that and expect to win…. I just have to be better." – Justin Herbert
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