Sunday's Chargers-Raiders game included everything fans would expect from a game including these two AFC West rivals. When the dust finally settled, the Chargers emerged with a victory thanks to heroics from Justin Herbert and Asante Samuel Jr.
The best player of the game on either side of the ball was Khalil Mack, who finished one sack short of the NFL record for most in a game. Mack sacked Aidan O'Connell six times in this game, giving the former All-Pro nine total sacks against his former team in three games played as a Charger.
Mack was not the only player who came into this game juiced to take on his former team. Former Chargers first-round pick Jerry Tillery obviously came into this game looking to make a statement — he just made a bad one.
Tillery delivered a disgusting late hit on Justin Herbert in the first half that got him ejected from the game. This galvanized the Chargers and may have helped the team jump out to a big lead but it did not make it any less dirty. Mack knows this and called out his former teammate after the game.
Khalil Mack called the Jerry Tillery hit on Justin Herbert that was out of bounds “bullshit” but he said he liked how the sideline responded. pic.twitter.com/bCaFaAMB5d
— Fernando Ramirez (@RealFRamirez) October 1, 2023
Chargers' Khalil Mack calls Jerry Tillery's hit on Justin Herbert 'Bulls---'
Safe to say that Mack didn't mince any words there. He said it how it is.
But as Mack alluded to, it created a response within the sideline that helped the team. This is a team that obviously plays for Justin Herbert and is going to have his back in moments like this. It should be a message to every other NFL team in the league not to try anything cute with Herbert.
Unfortunately, it would not be the last time that Herbert would get banged up in this game. After throwing his first interception of the season, Herbert got his finger caught in Maxx Crosby's helmet. This resulted in some kind of injury that led Herbert to wear a cyborg-like splint on his left hand for most of the fourth quarter.
Thankfully, Tillery's dirty hit did not seem to have any lasting effects on Herbert and it does look like he will be able to play through this finger injury after the bye week in Week 5. It does not change the fact that Tillery's hit was utter BS, as Mack himself so poetically said.