INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Circumstances have dictated a minuscule margin for error for this version of the Los Angeles Chargers.
On Saturday, that margin just wasn’t big enough. In a 20-16 loss to the Houston Texans, the Chargers made too many mistakes — in all three phases — to beat a playoff-bound team with one of the league’s elite defenses.
“(We have) some things to clean up before the playoffs,” coach Jim Harbaugh said.
To put it more directly: The Chargers must play more cleanly if they are going to win their first postseason game since 2018.
In an alternate universe, the Chargers have Rashawn Slater at left tackle and Joe Alt at right tackle, and they have the offensive firepower to overcome costly blunders.
In this universe, the Chargers are limited by who they are forced to play along the offensive line. They must take advantage of opportunities when they do arise on offense. They must be dialed in defensively. They must win the hidden-yardage battle on special teams.
The Chargers did not achieve those goals against the Texans, so they lost, and the Denver Broncos won the AFC West.
The defensive breakdowns happened on the opening two drives.
On the third play of the game, the Chargers did not successfully communicate their coverage call across the back end of the defense. Some of the defenders were in a zone coverage look. Some of the defenders were in a man coverage look. As a result, Texans receiver Jayden Higgins ran free on a post route, and quarterback C.J. Stroud hit him in stride for a 75-yard touchdown. It was the longest passing touchdown allowed in two seasons under Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter.
On the fourth play of the next defensive series, the Chargers were again beaten over the top. Two players bit on one route to the left side, leaving a vacant space in the Chargers’ two-high-safety zone. Stroud completed to receiver Jaylin Noel for a 43-yard touchdown. The Chargers were down 14-0 before six minutes of game time had elapsed.
“It’s deflating,” safety Derwin James Jr. said of the defensive start. “We was focused. Walkthrough was perfect before the game. Game plan, perfect practice this week. But it comes down to taking the test.”
James added that the Chargers were in “perfect calls” on both touchdowns.
“We just didn’t execute,” James said.
The Chargers defense rebounded after the poor start, only giving up 6 points over the remainder of the game. They forced two turnovers, created pressure up front and held the Texans to 2-for-10 on third down after the first two drives.
“I don’t want to be this team that always has to battle adversity and respond,” James said. “We don’t want to be a responsive team, adversity team. We want to come out and just do our job from the beginning. Be proactive, bro, and just be that defense that we say we are.”
The Texans are already an aggressive defense. They turned that dial up to the maximum while playing with a near-immediate double-digit cushion.
Linebackers Henry To’oTo’o and Azeez Al-Shaair were firing downhill to take away the Chargers run game. The Chargers had three successful designed rushes in the game, according to TruMedia. One of those was a jet sweep to receiver Tre’ Harris. Rookie running back Omarion Hampton had 29 yards on 14 carries.
“We were going to have to run the ball well to win the game,” quarterback Justin Herbert said. “Early, it didn’t go our way.”
The combination of an early deficit and a nonexistent run game proved debilitating.
“At the end of the day,” left guard Zion Johnson said, “we got to start faster.”
The offense still had chances. Players did not capitalize.
On a third-and-4 late in the first quarter, receiver Keenan Allen beat Texans defensive back Jalen Pitre off the line of scrimmage. Herbert threw a perfect ball. Allen dropped it. That led to a punt.
Late in the first half, Herbert moved the Chargers into a red zone with a 60-yard bomb to receiver Quentin Johnston down the left sideline. On the next play, from the Houston 14-yard line, tight end Oronde Gadsden beat Al-Shaair on an in-breaking route over the middle of the field. Herbert delivered to Gadsden, who dropped the pass. Gadsden would have likely scored. Instead, the ball deflected into the air, and Al-Shaair came down with the interception.
One of the biggest plays of the game was this dropped pass by Oronde Gadsden that turned into an Azeez Al-Shaair interception. (Kiyoshi Mio / Imagn Images)
On the first drive of the third quarter, Herbert avoided multiple free rushers — a theme all game behind an overmatched offensive line — and fired a strike to Gadsden along the right sideline. Gadsden made the initial catch, but lost control after a contest from safety Calen Bullock.
Possessions are at a premium against elite defenses. The Chargers gave three away by not hanging onto the ball.
“We didn’t make enough plays today,” Herbert said.
Special teams also played a role in this loss. After Al-Shaair’s interception, the Chargers defense got the ball right back. Safety Elijah Molden jumped a Stroud attempt over the middle. Herbert and the offense took over inside Houston territory.
Kicker Cameron Dicker missed a 32-yard attempt on that drive, the first field-goal miss of his career from inside 40 yards.
In the second half, punter J.K. Scott hit two poor kicks that translated into Houston points. The first, in the third quarter, traveled 22 yards. The Texans took over at the Chargers’ 47-yard line. Houston moved the ball 24 yards and came away with 3 points on a 41-yard field goal from kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn.
The second punt, in the fourth quarter, traveled 34 yards. The Texans took over at their own 45-yard line. They moved the ball 29 yards before Fairbairn connected from 44 yards.
Dicker, who was named a Pro Bowler earlier this week, also missed an extra point late in the game.
“We know what we’re capable of, but things that were just off a little bit,” Harbaugh said of Scott and Dicker.
That the Chargers were even in this game is a testament to their resilience and Herbert’s MVP-level play.
Herbert led one of the best drives of his career in the third quarter, with the Chargers trailing 17-3. He converted the first third down of the possession to Allen. Then, he scrambled for 24 yards on a third-and-14, running over Texans cornerback Derek Stingley to extend the run. Next, he converted a third-and-6 in the red zone after withstanding a direct shot from defensive tackle Sheldon Rankings.
The Chargers quarterback capped the drive off with a 1-yard touchdown to Gadsden off play action.
“You get down early to a defense like that, it’s easy to fold,” right tackle Trey Pipkins III said. “But we didn’t do that. We fought.”
Herbert once again willed the Chargers back into a game despite an onslaught of pressure. The Chargers started Bobby Hart at left tackle but benched him in favor of Austin Deculus in the second half after he struggled in one-on-one situations.
Despite all the free rushers, Herbert remained defiant. He brought the Chargers within one score late in the fourth quarter, leading a touchdown drive spurred by two explosive completions, one to receiver Ladd McConkey and one to Gadsden.
“I think he’s the best there ever was,” Harbaugh said of Herbert.
There is a winning recipe here, but it is closer to baking bread than cooking a savory entree.
There is wiggle room in cooking savory food. You can adjust and balance. You can even overcome mistakes by adding acid or salt or sweetness.
Baking requires a rigid commitment to measurements and method. Any mistake can lead to an inedible product.
The Chargers are baking bread. They must stick to their recipe, down to the gram, down to the second.
Against the Texans, the mistakes across all three phases produced a predictable result.
“As much as we hate to lose, I’d rather do it now than later,” linebacker Daiyan Henley said. “Now it’s time to get on a run, and let’s go.”