LOS ANGELES — As running back Omarion Hampton waltzed into the end zone in the fourth quarter of the Los Angeles Chargers’ 34-17 win over the Dallas Cowboys, it put a bow on one of the Chargers’ most impressive wins of the season.
The Cowboys had nothing to play for — eliminated from the playoffs a day before — but they jumped on the Chargers’ stout defense early. At first, L.A. had no answers for wide receiver George Pickens, as the Cowboys scored 17 first-half points and moved the ball seamlessly.
But after halftime, the Chargers’ defense tightened the screws. The offense, meanwhile, continued to take advantage of one of the league’s worst defenses, producing L.A.’s second-highest scoring output of the season.
The win marked the Chargers’ seventh in their past eight games. It is a surge that has crystallized this team’s identity, buoyed by a hard-hitting, turnover-forcing defense and a quarterback in Justin Herbert good enough to keep an offense with the league’s worst offensive line afloat.
And yet, even at 11-4, with a chance to win the AFC West title if they win out, they aren’t widely viewed as Super Bowl contenders. They are tied with the Chicago Bears for the 11th-best odds to win the Super Bowl (+1900), according to DraftKings Sportsbook, despite having more wins than many of the teams ahead of them. That skepticism stems from the franchise’s historical ability to be capable of brilliance but instead crumble in the biggest moments.
The Chargers won’t have a chance to properly correct that narrative until the postseason. Still, Saturday’s game against the Houston Texans (4:30 pm ET, NFL Network) presents a twofold opportunity. A win would mean redemption and would reinforce that these Jim Harbaugh-coached Chargers are prepared to separate from this franchise’s familiar heartbreaks.
“This team never gives up. It doesn’t matter. They don’t flinch. They don’t fold,” Harbaugh said. “No matter what’s happening. You can be punched right in the tip of the nose, see some adversity, and this team just keeps pressing forward.”
The Chargers’ season came to a screeching stop in Houston last season. L.A. was riding a three-game winning streak but was overwhelmed in a lopsided, wild-card loss that marked the worst game of Herbert’s career.
He finished 14-of-32 passing (43.8%), the worst completion percentage in a playoff game by a Chargers quarterback since Philip Rivers in 2006 and tied for third worst in franchise history (minimum 20 attempts). Herbert threw a league-low three interceptions during the regular season but had four against the Texans, making him the first player in NFL history to throw more picks in a playoff game than in the regular season (min. 200 attempts).
The loss dropped Herbert to 0-2 in his career in the playoffs. His first defeat came against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2023 postseason. The Chargers blew a 27-0 first-half lead in a 31-30 defeat, one of the most embarrassing collapses in NFL history.
His playoff performances have made Herbert something of a conundrum; his peaks rival the league’s best quarterbacks, but his lowest moments have come on the biggest stages.
“I let the team down,” he said after the Houston loss. “… I just have to be better.”
Houston’s defense has only improved this season, allowing league lows in points (16.6), yards (272.3) and QBR (48.4). The Chargers’ offensive line, meanwhile, has deteriorated significantly.
After ranking 11th in pass block win rate last season, the Chargers rank last this season. The pressure overwhelmed Herbert in Houston a year ago, and the challenge will be even steeper Saturday.
In last year’s game, the Chargers had what they considered the league’s best tackle pairing in Joe Alt (ankle) and Rashawn Slater (knee), but both are out with season-ending injuries. Their replacements, Trey Pipkins III and Jamaree Salyer, are both dealing with injuries heading into Saturday. Pipkins hasn’t played since Week 14 as he nurses an ankle injury, and Salyer exited Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury.
Herbert is dealing with a fractured hand sustained in Week 13. He’s been pressured 252 times, more than any quarterback in the NFL, but has also been one of the best at avoiding sacks. Sunday’s win was the latest example. It was the first game of 2025 that he wasn’t sacked, a stat he deserves credit for almost as much as the offensive line.
He had two passing touchdowns on plays where the Cowboys’ defense recorded a pass rush win (defeated block within 2.5 seconds), according to ESPN Research. He leads the NFL in total QBR (81), pass yards (1,135) and pass touchdowns (one) on such plays.
“It’s definitely MVP-caliber,” Harbaugh said. “I mean, he’s doing things game after game that are reserved for only the best that are in the game and have ever played the game.”
The Chargers fall into clichés when asked about the importance of games like this one against Houston. Harbaugh says, “It’s the most important game because it’s the next one.” Still, Saturday’s matchup carries added weight — not only for playoff seeding but for rewriting the narrative that has followed this team.
“Coach Harbaugh said we’re in a position to be in a position and I think that’s all you can ask for,” Herbert said. “Where we’re playing meaningful football in December and a lot of teams aren’t. … We’ve got a really good opponent coming to town next week, and so we got to be on our stuff.”