The LA Chargers' 2024 season ended sooner than fans had hoped as the team was walloped in the AFC Wild Card Round by the Houston Texans. What started as a promising game for the Chargers quickly got out of hand with the Bolts dropping the contest 32-12.
Despite the 32 points scored, the defense did everything in its power to keep the Chargers in the game but the team could not do anything offensively. Much like the team's 27-0 blown lead against the Jacksonville Jaguars two years prior in the NFL Playoffs, the Chargers were unable to get the ground game going, which may have factored into the outcome.
Fans questioned why J.K. Dobbins, who looked like he was being shot out of a cannon on the first drive of the game, saw only five carries after the opening drive (and only one in the second half). In a recent appearance on FanDuel TV's 'Up & Adams' show, Dobbins made it clear he didn't understand the shift, either.
"It hurt, it really hurt in the moment but I sat back and talked to Joe (Hortiz) and coach (Greg Roman) and coach Jim (Harbaugh) and my teammates," Dobbins told Kay Adams. "I'm mature. I've matured and I've learned from some things so hopefully next time, if I'm with the Chargers and we're in the playoffs, hopefully next time I can do a better part helping the team win. Hopefully, the ball does come my way the next time, if there is a next time."
J.K. Dobbins says 'it hurt' that he wasn't as involved in the Chargers' playoff loss
Everything Dobbins said is valid and it represents exactly how Chargers fans felt after the game. It looked like Dobbins was primed for a huge game against the Texans with how it started only for him to have no impact whatsoever.
Part of the problem was a struggling interior offensive line that could not stand up against a stout Texans front seven. That being said, the Chargers also played into the Texans' strengths by going away from the run game. With Dobbins becoming a nonfactor, the Texans' pass rush was able to pin its ears back and go after the quarterback.
The best counter to that problem is to establish the ground game and make the defense respect the run. The Chargers failed to do that in a way that was painfully similar to the 2022 playoff exit. With no run game to speak of, Justin Herbert was left to play superhero with a struggling line and a bad collection of weapons. As a result, Herbert had his worst game as a pro.
What makes this more frustrating than the last time this happened to the Chargers is the personnel on the roster. The Chargers have the tools to establish the run game and they have an offensive coordinator who should be able to do so.
And for whatever reason, the Chargers went away from the very thing that made the offense effective in the regular season. The offense was notably worse when Dobbins missed four weeks in the regular season and he might as well have missed the game against the Texans.
It's all a learning process for the Chargers, who now have to hope they can rectify the wrong by bringing Dobbins back to give him another shot in the NFL Playoffs.