The 2024 season was about changing the culture and rewriting the narratives around the LA Chargers with Jim Harbaugh running the show. Unfortunately, Justin Herbert was unable to rewrite the narratives about him as a quarterback on Saturday against the Houston Texans.
An 11-win season and trip to the NFL Playoffs represented a true culture change in Los Angeles under Harbaugh. All of that went out of the window in the AFC Wild-Card Round, though, as Justin Herbert turned in arguably the worst game of his NFL career.
The Chargers lost 32-12 in what was one of the wonkiest football games of the entire season, which is perfectly on-brand for LA. Herbert's performance was also on-brand for those who doubt him as an elite quarterback. The Chargers' starter completed 14 of 32 passes for 242 yards and one touchdown. Herbert threw more interceptions on Saturday than he did in all of the regular season.
Chargers' QB Justin Herbert proved his naysayers right against the Texans
There has been a lot of talk among Chargers fans about Herbert being a top-five quarterback in the league who is in the same company as Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow. On Saturday, Herbert didn't even look to be on the tier below those elite quarterbacks.
Herbert threw two of the worst passes of his career given the circumstances. First, it was a cross-body jump throw into coverage that was intercepted and took at least three points off the board in the first half. Later, it was a severe overthrow above Ladd McConkey's head that turned into a pick-six.
Yes, Herbert didn't get much help on Saturday. The offensive line was legitimately woeful and it has been well-documented that the weapons outside of McConkey leave more to be desired. The Chargers could have done a much better job at supporting the star quarterback on Saturday.
But that does not absolve Herbert of all blame. True top-tier quarterbacks elevate their teams when the lights are the brightest and Herbert did the opposite. He played far worse than he has played for most of his career.
If this was a one-time performance it would be one thing but that is not the case at all. Herbert was also woeful in the infamous playoff game against the Jacksonville Jaguars two years ago. Most of the blame fell on former offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and head coach Brandon Staley, but the fact of the matter is that Herbert was bad.
The numbers look fine. Herbert completed 25 of 43 passes for 273 yards and one touchdown. But when the Chargers needed Herbert to lead clock-killing drives, he couldn't do it. When the Chargers needed him to connect with a wide-open Keenan Allen in the endzone, he sailed it over his head.
Herbert is now 0-2 in the NFL Playoffs with two subpar starts. The entire scouting report on Herbert coming into the league was that he was naturally talented but lacked the "it factor" to perform on the biggest stage.
For five years now, Chargers fans have mocked this trivial "it factor" as merely an excuse to not give Herbert his flowers. However, after Saturday's performance, it is hard to dispute those same naysayers.
At his best, Justin Herbert absolutely has all the tools to be one of the very best quarterbacks in the sport. Chargers fans have seen it firsthand. But until he rewrites the narrative with a good showing in the NFL Playoffs, nobody is going to care about his regular-season highlights, or what his EPA/play might have been in a random Week 12 game.