HC Jim Harbaugh has a shocking reaction on Justin Herbert after 4-INT Wildcard game
Chargers' HC Jim Harbaugh did not blame quarterback Justin Herbert for the embarrassing loss, despite throwing four interceptions.
Follow Us
Justin Herbert and Jim Harbaugh (Via Britannica/KTLA)
Despite taking an early lead, the Los Angeles Chargers crumbled on the field as they were left overwhelmed by the Houston Texans defense, which didn’t let them exceed beyond 12 points. As they look back to where things went wrong, they need to look no further than Justin Herbert.
Appearing in his second career playoff appearance, the Chargers quarterback stumbled three times in the second half, throwing three interceptions and getting picked off four times before the Chargers got officially eliminated from the Super Bowl contention. Herbert’s performance was deciding underwhelming against CJ Stroud’s Texans, especially after he allowed Eric Murray to score a pick-six.
Yet, head coach Jim Harbaugh did not blame Herbert for the embarrassing loss. In the post-game press conference, he confidently called the quarterback a “complete beast” while taking the blame for the loss upon his shoulders.
[That’s] on me. [Justin Herbert] He’s got to be able to finish a throwing motion. Quarterback’s gotta be able to do that. And we didn’t put him in the position to do that enough. One thing I can promise you is, the sun will come up tomorrow, and we’ll be attacking it with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind.
Jim Harbaugh said
The Texans pass rush pressured Justin Herbert on half of his dropbacks, led by Will Anderson (7 pressures, 1.5 sacks), Denico Autry (5 QBP, 1 sack), and Danielle Hunter (5 QBP).
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) January 12, 2025
Herbert was under pressure in less than 2.5 seconds 11 times (5 unblocked).#LACvsHOU | #HTownMade
The Texans defense overpowered Herbert by pressuring him 19 times, resulting in four interceptions, marking the most in a playoff game by a Chargers quarterback in nearly three decades. Before concluding his press conference, the Los Angeles head coach promised the fans that the team would arrive next season even stronger to win the Super Bowl.
Justin Herbert takes responsibility for Chargers’ playoff exit despite Jim Harbaugh’s support
Although his head coach may not have blamed him, Herbert did not shy away from taking responsibility for the Chargers’ playoff elimination. After completing the game with the third-lowest completion percentage of 43.8 in the franchise’s playoff history, the young quarterback was distressed, and he took the blame in a post-game media interaction.
It’s tough, I let the team down. You can’t turn the ball over like that and expect to win… I just have to be better… I put the team into jeopardy. Tough position with all those turnovers. I thought the guys outside did a great job fighting and getting open, and it’s on me as a quarterback to be able to deliver the ball.
Justin Herbert said
Moving forward, the Chargers concluded their first season under head coach Harbaugh at 11-7. This game highlights the need for them to bolster the offense so that the quarterback can have strong weapons on the field to secure his first playoff victory soon.
Related: George Pickens’ cryptic comments post Wild Card loss spark concern about his future with Steelers
Stay Updated!
Pratyusha Srivastava
(2078 Articles Published)