Tag: Chargers score

Offense nowhere to be found in Chargers’ loss to Texans: Instant analysis of wild-card game

Here’s our recap of the Chargers’ playoff loss to the Texans in a game that saw Justin Herbert have arguably the worst performance of his career.

The Chargers’ season has come to a close after losing to the Texans on Saturday.

Here’s our recap of Los Angeles’ 32-12 loss to Houston.

It was over when…

Justin Herbert’s pass intended for Ladd McConkey was picked off by Eric Murray and taken back for a touchdown to extend the Texans’ lead to two scores late in the third quarter.

Notable number

Herbert is the first player in NFL history to throw more interceptions in a playoff game than in the regular season, according to ESPN’s Kris Rhim. He threw four tonight and only threw three all year.

3 stars of the game

  1. WR Ladd McConkey: 9 catches, 197 yards, touchdown
  2. EDGE Khalil Mack: 2 sacks
  3. CB Deane Leonard: Interception

Quick hits

  • This was arguably the worst game of Herbert’s career, crumbling with the world watching him. He finished 14-32 (43.8%), the worst completion percentage in a playoff game by a Charger since Philip Rivers in 2006, and tied for third worst in franchise history, per ESPN’s Kris Rhim.
  • Herbert had never thrown more than two interceptions in a game in his entire career.
  • The Chargers’ offense was lifeless the entire game. The Texans pressured Herbert 19 times and sacked him four times. There were too many dropped passes. The running game was nonexistent.
  • The Chargers’ defense forced three turnovers, but the offense only turned those takeaways into three points.
  • Los Angeles averaged just 2.8 yards per rush. The Texans dominated at the line of scrimmage, giving the Chargers no rushing lanes.
  • McConkey was the leading receiver with nine catches for 197 yards. The next on the list was Will Dissly, who had two receptions for 16 yards. Quentin Johnston had five targets but failed to record a catch.
  • Los Angeles finished 3-of-11 on third down. They held Houston to 5-of-14 on third down but allowed them to convert on both fourth-down attempts.
  • The momentum shift came late in the second quarter, deep in Texans territory when Stroud fumbled the snap but recovered and found a wide-open Xavier Hutchinson in the middle of the field for a 34-yard gain because of a busted coverage. Houston scored and went on to put up 23 unanswered points.

What’s next?

The Chargers finished the 2024 season with an 11-7 record and a playoff spot in Jim Harbaugh’s first year as head coach. They enter the offseason with plenty of positional needs at running back, wide receiver, tight end, interior offensive line, edge defender and interior defensive line.

Chargers dominate Patriots to clinch playoff berth: Instant analysis of Week 17 win

Here’s our recap of the Chargers’ win over the Patriots in a game that saw Justin Herbert toss three touchdowns and make NFL history.

The Chargers are heading to the playoffs after their win over the Patriots on Saturday afternoon.

Here’s our recap of Los Angeles’ 40-7 win over New England.

It was over when…

Justin Herbert hit Ladd McConkey for a 40-yard touchdown to go up 27-7 in the third quarter.

Notable number

Justin Herbert broke Peyton Manning’s NFL record for most passing yards in a player’s first five seasons (20,618).

3 stars of the game

  1. QB Justin Herbert: 283 passing yards, 3 touchdowns
  2. RB J.K. Dobbins: 19 carries, 76 yards, TD
  3. WR Ladd McConkey: 8 catches, 94 yards, 2 TDs

Quick hits

  • The Chargers are in the playoffs for the third time in 11 seasons.
  • The Chargers’ offense spent most of the game on the field, dominating the time of possession battle, 40:34 to 19:26.
  • The offensive line kept Justin Herbert upright for the entire game, and he took advantage of the clean pockets. When kept clean, Herbert had an 80% adjusted completion percentage with 247 passing yards and three touchdowns.
  • Herbert’s top target was Ladd McConkey, who surpassed Keenan Allen for most receiving yards and receptions by a Chargers rookie. Quentin Johnston finished second in receiving with five catches for 48 yards. Joshua Palmer was next with four grabs for 41 yards.
  • The offense benefited from J.K. Dobbins’ return from injury. Dobbins averaged 4.0 yards per carry and found the end zone. He also set a new season high in rushing yards, shattering his previous best (800) in his rookie campaign.
  • Jesse Minter’s defense made life difficult for rookie Drake Maye. Maye was sacked four times and was held to 112 passing yards on 22 attempts.
  • New England went 2-of-10 on third down and failed to make it to the red zone.
  • Derius Davis had a punt return touchdown, but it was negated by a holding penalty.

What’s next?

The Chargers close out the regular season on the road against the Raiders next Sunday, Jan. 5. The kickoff time is to be determined.

Chargers secure second-half comeback over Broncos: Instant analysis of Week 16 win

Here’s our recap of the Chargers’ loss to the Broncos in a game that saw Los Angeles complete a double-digit comeback.

The Chargers pieced together a double-digit comeback in the second half, taking down the Broncos in a 34-27 battle on Thursday night.

Here’s our recap of Los Angeles’ Week 16 win.

It was over when…

Justin Herbert pitched the ball to Hassan Haskins, who ran for a 34-yard touchdown with 2:27 remaining to go up by 10.

Notable number

The Chargers swept the Broncos for the first time since the 2010 season.

3 stars of the game

  1. QB Justin Herbert: 281 yards, 2 passing touchdowns
  2. RB Gus Edwards: 2 rushing TDs
  3. WR Ladd McConkey: 6 catches, 87 yards

Quick hits

  • Before their win, the Chargers had lost 13 straight games when trailing by double digits, the fifth-longest active streak in the NFL.
  • Credit offensive coordinator Greg Roman for devising a game plan that resulted in 34 points against the league’s best defense.
  • The Chargers totaled 380 yards, 263 passing and 117 rushing, averaging 6.2 yards per play. They went 3 of 4 in the red zone.
  • Justin Herbert connected with ten different pass-catchers.
  • According to Next Gen Stats, Herbert used play action on a career-high 47.2% of his dropbacks against Denver, finishing 12 of 15 for 155 yards with a play fake.
  • Ladd McConkey led all receivers with 87 yards. Joshua Palmer was second with 41 yards on three catches.
  • Before his 43-yard run, Gus Edwards was only averaging 1.9. yards per carry. Still, Edwards found the end zone twice, bringing his touchdown total to four on the season.
  • After giving up three touchdowns in the first half, defensive coordinator Jesse Minter made some adjustments by dialing up and executing more pressure to mitigate the thin defensive backfield.
  • In the second half, Los Angeles forced four punts, two of which were three-and-outs, on five of Denver’s possessions.
  • Ryan Ficken, knowing the free-kick law, paid off as Cameron Dicker’s 57-yard field goal was good right before the half, the first free-kick FG since 1976.
  • The Chargers now have a 97% chance to make the playoffs after the win.

What’s next?

The Chargers are back on the road to face the Patriots (3-11) on Saturday, Dec. 28, at 10:00 am PT.

4 takeaways from Chargers’ 24-22 loss to Bills

Here are four things to take away from the Chargers’ loss to the Bills.

The Chargers fought hard on Saturday, ultimately falling 24-22 to the Bills. Los Angeles led in time of possession but had fewer rushing, passing, and total yards than Buffalo.

Here are four things to take away from the contest.

Social media reacts to Chargers’ loss to Lions

Here is how the general population reacted to the Chargers’ loss to the Lions.

Despite a spectacular performance from the Chargers offense, Los Angeles fell short to the Lions.

The Bolts are now 4-5 after a heartbreaking loss.

Here’s how social media reacted to the failed comeback:

 

Everything to know about Chargers’ loss to Lions

To recap the Chargers’ loss to the Lions, here is everything you need to know.

The Chargers’ offense did its job. The defense did not.

To recap Los Angeles’ 41-38 loss to the Lions, here is everything to know.

 

Chargers WR Keenan Allen reaches 10,000 receiving yards: ‘One of the best to ever do it’

Keenan Allen achieved the historic milestone in seasonable style.

Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen exceeded 10,000 receiving yards on Monday Night Football versus the Jets. The veteran achieved the historic milestone in seasonable style with an insane 23-yard left-handed grab.

To make the memorable night even sweeter, Los Angeles earned a 27-6 win over New York, which puts the Bolts at a 4-4 record. As Allen entered the tunnel postgame, he shared a quick embrace with general manager Tom Telesco while holding the ball he earned the benchmark with.

Allen is the 54th player in NFL history to surpass 10,000 receiving yards. The five-time Pro Bowler now trails Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe on the list, who reached 10,060 yards playing for the Ravens and Broncos. 

Only one other former Chargers receiver, Antonio Gates, has reached 10,000 career yards. Allen ranks second in franchise history in yards and receptions behind Gates. 

Allen joins an elite group of current players as the only active pass-catchers with at least 10,000 career receiving yards. The group includes Davante Adams, Travis Kelce, DeAndre Hopkins, Julio Jones and Mike Evans. 

The veteran, who has played for the Chargers all his 11 seasons, is what some may call timeless. 

“He’s one of the best to ever do it,” Justin Herbert said of his No.1 receiver. “I’m privileged and honored to be able to throw him the ball.” 

4 takeaways from Chargers’ 27-6 win over Jets

Here is what stood out from the Chargers’ win over the Jets on Monday night.

There was a certain sense of dread hanging in the air for much of the Chargers’ Monday night performance. Despite an early 14-0 lead buoyed by a fierce defensive performance, the game never felt truly in control.

Maybe that’s just the trauma talking.

Los Angeles kept their eye on the prize on Monday, eventually closing out a 27-6 win against a Jets team that has plenty of their own questions to answer going forward. The Chargers did not allow a touchdown on Monday for the second time in the Brandon Staley era.

Here’s what to take away from the game.

Everything to know about Chargers’ victory over Bears

To recap the Chargers’ win over the Bears, here is everything you need to know.

The Chargers beat the Bears in comfortable fashion on Sunday, which snapped their two-game losing streak.

To recap Week 8, here is everything you need to know:

4 takeaways from Chargers’ 24-17 win over Raiders

Here’s what stood out from the Chargers’ Week 4 win over the Raiders.

The Chargers eked out a Week 4 victory to get back to .500 on Sunday, defeating the Raiders 24-17 in a game that should not have been that close.

With the bye week to follow, Los Angeles still has plenty to clean up, but there are also flashes of a great team showing. Here’s what to take away from their performance against Las Vegas.