EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — The hits piled up and Justin Herbert finally went down, but at least the Chargers' struggling quarterback avoided injury in Los Angeles’ 44-22 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday.
Coach Jim Harbaugh said Monday that X-rays on Herbert's non-throwing hand came back negative, and he will be available when the Chargers (0-8) visit the Baltimore Ravens next Monday night.
Herbert was shaken up on a sack by Logan Hall on the Chargers' first offensive snap of the fourth quarter, the last of a career-high eight sacks he took. Herbert was able to finish the drive, which ended with a 58-yard touchdown pass to Quentin Johnston that snapped a stretch of 37 drives over 12 quarters without a touchdown dating to Oct. 11.
D.J. Uiagalelei replaced Herbert for the Chargers’ final two possessions, which Harbaugh said afterward was a coach’s decision.
Herbert has been sacked 31 times, second most in the NFL, and is on pace to take the most hits of his seven-year career. He has thrown six touchdown passes and 11 interceptions, with a 61.3% completion rate that is the lowest of his career. Those numbers are the exact opposite of what Herbert was expected to accomplish under new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, with the Chargers hoping that emphasizing a quick-timing approach to the pass game would drastically cut down the punishment Herbert absorbed.
Instead, Herbert has been battered and looked broken, and the Chargers have been effectively eliminated from playoff contention before Veterans Day.
The most recent example of a team that went from consecutive double-digit wins and playoff appearances to being one of the worst in football with a franchise quarterback in his prime nosediving for non-injury reasons would be the 2013 Atlanta Falcons, who ended up 4-12 as Matt Ryan had big spikes in his interception and sack totals.
The good news for Herbert? Ryan eventually bounced back, winning the MVP award in 2016 and leading the Falcons to the Super Bowl.
The bad news — at least for an organization giving every indication Harbaugh and his staff will remain in place — is that it took a change of leadership for Ryan to find that second wind.
Little went right in the worst loss of a terrible season, but one small bright spot was the Chargers' three plays of more than 30 yards. In addition to Johnston’s catch-and-run for a score, KeAndre Lambert-Smith had a 50-yard grab and Omarion Hampton broke off a 32-yard run.
The defense gave up a touchdown pass with 31 seconds left in the second quarter, turning a possible one-score deficit into a 24-9 hole that effectively put the game out of reach. It was the third straight game in which the Chargers allowed a momentum-changing touchdown in the last 2 minutes of the first half.
LB Marlowe Wax made an alert play to tip C.J. Stroud’s pass and allow Daiyan Henley to pick it off in the second quarter. Wax had eight tackles in 22 defensive snaps as the second-year defender from Syracuse continues to develop.
RG Cole Strange was benched after getting beat by Sheldon Rankins twice for sacks late in first half. Given his previous experience in McDaniel’s offense, Strange was signed in free agency to serve as a conduit in helping install and execute that system, but none of McDaniel’s choices are working.
WR Ladd McConkey experienced back spasms in pregame warmups and did not play despite being active, the third game he has missed this season. … Surprising rookie CB Isas Waxter, third-year CB Cam Hart and DL Justin Eboigbe all sustained ankle injuries.
19 — The Chargers have turned the ball over 19 times in eight games (11 interceptions, eight fumbles), with multiple turnovers in five straight games and seven of eight overall.
The Chargers head to Baltimore for a Monday night showdown with former defensive coordinator Jesse Minter’s Ravens, looking to snap a five-game regular-season losing streak in the series. Baltimore has lost four straight and likely will be giving Jacoby Brissett his first start at quarterback.
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