Offense nowhere to be found in Chargers’ loss to Texans: Instant analysis of wild-card game

The Chargers’ season has come to a close after losing to the Texans on Saturday.

Here’s our recap of Los Angeles’ 32-12 loss to Houston.

It was over when…

Justin Herbert’s pass intended for Ladd McConkey was picked off by Eric Murray and taken back for a touchdown to extend the Texans’ lead to two scores late in the third quarter.

Notable number

Herbert is the first player in NFL history to throw more interceptions in a playoff game than in the regular season, according to ESPN’s Kris Rhim. He threw four tonight and only threw three all year.

3 stars of the game

1. WR Ladd McConkey: 9 catches, 197 yards, touchdown
2. EDGE Khalil Mack: 2 sacks
3. CB Deane Leonard: Interception

Quick hits

• This was arguably the worst game of Herbert’s career, crumbling with the world watching him. He finished 14-32 (43.8%), the worst completion percentage in a playoff game by a Charger since Philip Rivers in 2006, and tied for third worst in franchise history, per ESPN’s Kris Rhim.
• Herbert had never thrown more than two interceptions in a game in his entire career.
• The Chargers’ offense was lifeless the entire game. The Texans pressured Herbert 19 times and sacked him four times. There were too many dropped passes. The running game was nonexistent.
• The Chargers’ defense forced three turnovers, but the offense only turned those takeaways into three points.
• Los Angeles averaged just 2.8 yards per rush. The Texans dominated at the line of scrimmage, giving the Chargers no rushing lanes.
• McConkey was the leading receiver with nine catches for 197 yards. The next on the list was Will Dissly, who had two receptions for 16 yards. Quentin Johnston had five targets but failed to record a catch.
• Los Angeles finished 3-of-11 on third down. They held Houston to 5-of-14 on third down but allowed them to convert on both fourth-down attempts.
• The momentum shift came late in the second quarter, deep in Texans territory when Stroud fumbled the snap but recovered and found a wide-open Xavier Hutchinson in the middle of the field for a 34-yard gain because of a busted coverage. Houston scored and went on to put up 23 unanswered points.

What’s next?

The Chargers finished the 2024 season with an 11-7 record and a playoff spot in Jim Harbaugh’s first year as head coach. They enter the offseason with plenty of positional needs at running back, wide receiver, tight end, interior offensive line, edge defender and interior defensive line.