The Chargers saw their season come to an end with a 32-12 loss to Houston on Saturday.
Here are five takeaways from the Wild Card Round.
The Chargers are headed in the right direction under Jim Harbaugh.
But playoff success will have to wait for another year.
The Bolts, who entered the postseason on a three-game win streak, couldn’t put a complete performance together when it mattered most.
And the disappointment was palpable in the postgame locker room.
“They were the better team today, all respect to them,” Harbaugh said. “Not being the better team today, I’m accountable for that. That’s on me.
He later added: “All facets… I’m accountable. Went bad, that’s on me.”
Khalil Mack said: “It’s very high. Knowing what we’re capable of, didn’t come out and perform at the level we supposed to today.”
J.K. Dobbins added: “Very, very disappointed. Very disappointed.”
The Chargers season is now over after the Bolts went 11-6 and earned a Wild Card Spot in Harbaugh’s first season at the helm.
But players made it known in the locker room that they didn’t expect the season to end like this.
All season long, the Chargers thrived on playing complementary football focused on turnovers, disciplined play and possessing the ball.
None of it clicked Saturday.
The offense was out of rhythm for most of the game, going just 3-of-11 on third downs. The Bolts held the ball for more than 10 minutes in the opening quarter but possessed it for just 15 minutes the rest of the way.
Defensively, the Bolts did their part with three takeaways and three sacks. But it wasn’t enough as the unit wore down over the final few quarters.
Even special teams contributed to the loss as the Bolts had an extra point blocked and returned for a 2-point play while a punt was nearly blocked.
A bright spot for the Bolts?
Rookie Ladd McConkey had nine receptions for 197 yards, with the latter total setting a rookie postseason record.
McConkey is just the third rookie to surpass 150 receiving yards in a playoff game, and his 197 yards are the third-most by a player in their first playoff game.
“He was a beast. Incredible player, tough as they come,” Harbaugh said. “Love the way all the guys fought and battled and the effort that they gave was outstanding.”
The Chargers will now clean out their lockers and get ready for the offseason knowing the future is bright in Los Angeles.
“Wouldn’t trade nobody for nobody. No coach, no player,” James said. “We just didn’t get it [done], we wasn’t a better team today. It’s not basketball, we ain’t got a series to seven. They got us today and we got to move on from it.”
Alohi Gilman added:”Proud of all our guys putting their hearts into it. Sucks man, but proud to be a part of this team.”
Harbaugh said: “Favorite ball team I’ve ever been on. 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.”