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(Photo by Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Chargers were eliminated from the playoffs on Sunday night. They fell to the New England Patriots 16-3 in the wild-card round.
It was the Chargers’ second straight playoff loss in the opening round. It was quarterback Justin Herbert‘s third straight playoff loss without a single postseason victory. The offense failed to score a touchdown for the second consecutive week.
But head coach Jim Harbaugh is not treating this as the end of something. He is treating it as the beginning.
“Those that stay will be champions,” Harbaugh told his team after the loss.
He repeated that sentiment in his postgame press conference, making it clear that he still believes this team can accomplish big things.
“We’re not looking at it as an end, but as another beginning,” Harbaugh said.
That is a bold statement from a coach whose team just got shut out in the touchdown department for the second week in a row. But Harbaugh has always been a coach who believes in his vision, even when the results do not immediately match it.
The question is whether Herbert shares that same confidence.
Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh: “Those that stay will be champions.”
“We’re not looking at it as an end, but as another beginning.”
Justin Herbert’s Blunt Assessment After Another Playoff Loss
GettyMilton Williams #97 of the New England Patriots tackles Justin Herbert #10 of the Los Angeles Chargers during the fourth quarter of the AFC Wild Card Playoff game at Gillette Stadium on January 11, 2026 in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Herbert followed Harbaugh to the podium after the game. The contrast in tone was striking.
When asked if he was still confident that he could make a playoff run or even win one postseason game, Herbert did not offer the same optimism as his head coach.
“I don’t know,” Herbert said. “I haven’t figured it out yet, and it hasn’t happened. So we’ll have to re-evaluate it and see what happens.”
That is about as blunt as it gets.
Herbert is now 0-3 in the playoffs. The Chargers have not won a postseason game since the 2018 wild-card round, when they beat the Baltimore Ravens before losing to the Patriots the following week. Herbert was not the quarterback for that win. Philip Rivers was.
Since Herbert took over as the starter in 2020, the Chargers have made the playoffs twice and lost in the wild-card round both times. Last year, they fell to the Houston Texans 32-12. Herbert completed less than 45% of his passes and was intercepted four times in that game.
This year was supposed to be different. Harbaugh was brought in to change the culture. Herbert had another strong regular season. The Chargers finished 11-7 and earned a playoff spot.
And yet, the result was the same. Another early exit. Another game where the offense could not find the end zone.
“I haven’t figured it out yet.”
Justin Herbert on his confidence level of getting his first career postseason win.
What Went Wrong for the Chargers Against the Patriots
The Chargers’ offense was completely stifled on Sunday night.
Herbert completed 19 of 31 passes for just 159 yards. He was sacked six times, losing 39 yards in the process. He was also strip-sacked twice, with one of those fumbles costing the Chargers 2.5 minutes on the clock and 46 yards of field position late in the game when they desperately needed two touchdowns to win.
Los Angeles converted just 1 of 10 third-down attempts. For a team that ranked first in the NFL in third-down conversion rate during the regular season (converting 115 times), that was a stunning collapse. They also went 1 for 3 on fourth down, with their only successful conversion coming on a 1-yard QB sneak that was initially ruled short but overturned on replay.
The Chargers only got deep into Patriots territory twice all game. The first time came in the first quarter when linebacker Daiyan Henley intercepted a tipped pass from Drake Maye and set up the offense at the New England 10-yard line. The drive stalled at the 2, Harbaugh went for it on fourth down, and Herbert’s pass fell incomplete.
The Patriots defense, led by Milton Williams, who recorded the game-sealing sack, dominated Los Angeles all night. They held the Chargers to just 207 total yards of offense and made Herbert uncomfortable in the pocket throughout the game.
The Question Surrounding Greg Roman and the Chargers’ Offense
After the game, Harbaugh was asked if offensive coordinator Greg Roman was the right person to be calling plays.
His answer was telling.
“Right now I don’t have the answers,” Harbaugh said. “We’re going to look at that, at everything. It really falls on me that we weren’t at our best tonight. I don’t have the answers. I wish I did. We’ll work hard. It’ll be a new beginning.”
That is not exactly a ringing endorsement of Roman, who has now overseen back-to-back games without a touchdown. The Chargers failed to score in their Week 18 loss to the Texans as well, and they could not find the end zone again on Sunday night.
Harbaugh took responsibility for the loss, but he also made it clear that everything will be evaluated in the offseason. That could mean changes to the offensive staff. It could mean changes to the roster. Whatever it is, the Chargers cannot afford another playoff exit like this one.
When asked if Greg Roman is the right person to be calling plays for the Chargers Jim Harbaugh repeatedly said he didn’t have the answer to that question right now.
“We’re gonna look at that and everything.”
Chargers have 1 TD the past two seasons in the playoffs
The Herbert Hand Injury Context
Herbert broke a bone in his left (non-throwing) hand in a November 30 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. He played through the injury and led the Chargers to four straight wins before sitting out the regular-season finale to heal.
When asked about the hand after Sunday’s loss, Herbert downplayed it.
“The training staff did a great job getting me ready to go,” Herbert said. “As long as they felt safe and comfortable—and I did as well—there was no issues. Just have to do a better job holding on to the ball.”
But Harbaugh acknowledged that the hand was a problem.
“He’s a warrior. He just gives it everything he has, all the time,” Harbaugh said. “It’s an issue, but he doesn’t flinch, like a warrior would.”
Final Word for the Chargers
Jim Harbaugh believes this team can win a championship.
Justin Herbert is not so sure.
That disconnect is going to define the Chargers’ offseason. Harbaugh’s bold declaration that “those that stay will be champions” sounds great in theory, but the reality is that this team just went two straight weeks without scoring a touchdown. Herbert is 0-3 in the playoffs. The offense has been inconsistent when it matters most.
Harbaugh is treating this loss as “another beginning.” But for Herbert, it feels like another reminder that the Chargers have not figured out how to win when the stakes are highest.
Changes are coming. Whether that means a new offensive coordinator, new personnel, or a new approach, something has to shift. The current formula is not working.
Harbaugh’s confidence is admirable. But the Chargers need more than confidence. They need results.
Keith Watkins Keith Watkins is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers. He previously wrote for FanSided, NBA Analysis Network, and Last Word On Sports. Keith is based in Bangkok, Thailand. More about Keith Watkins