Herbert’s career-high 4 interceptions doom Chargers in wild-card playoff loss to Texans

HOUSTON (AP) — Justin Herbert had just three interceptions in the regular season. He surpassed that Saturday in just one playoff game.

Herbert was picked off a career-high four times, including one that was returned for a touchdown, to help the Houston Texans coast to a 32-12 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.

“I let the team down,” the Chargers quarterback said. “You can’t turn over the ball like that and expect to win. I put the team in a tough position there with four turnovers like that.”

Herbert had never thrown more than two interceptions in a game before facing a Texans secondary led by All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley, who had two INTs. Eric Murray scored his first career touchdown on a 38-yard interception return late in the third quarter. Rookie Kamari Lassiter had the other pick.

Herbert was asked what changed Saturday.

“It’s just on me to protect the ball and be better about that,” he said. “I was aggressive downfield and you’ve got to do a better job at getting the ball out, throwing it away or better ball placement. So, that’s on me.”

The Chargers (11-7), who returned to the playoffs under first-year coach Jim Harbaugh, lost in the wild-card round for a second straight time after also losing in the 2022 season to remain without a postseason win since 2018.

Since the merger, quarterbacks are 55-551-2 when throwing four or more interceptions in the regular season and just 3-33 when doing so in the playoffs.

The Texans made Herbert uncomfortable in the pocket all day, sacking him four times and hitting him another nine.

“He’s got to be able to finish a throwing motion,” Harbaugh said. “Quarterback’s got to be able to do that. We didn’t put him in the position to do that enough.”

Harbaugh said the pressure that Houston’s Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter created was “the best we’ve seen.”

Herbert was 14 of 32 for 242 yards with a 40.9 passer rating.

The Chargers managed just 50 yards rushing, their second fewest of the season. Their inability to run the ball made things that much harder on Herbert.

The Texans were up 10-6 early in the third quarter when the Chargers recovered a fumble by Joe Mixon. They went for it on fourth-and-2 on the next drive. They chose to pass instead of run and Quentin Johnson had a reception, but was stopped short of the first-down marker by Stingley to give the Texans the ball at their 34.

Harbaugh said the play was designed to be deeper.

“Just a little bit,” he said. “Sometimes the release, the coverage affects that. If we had it over, would like to have called a different play or kicked a field goal there.”

Despite Herbert’s miscues, Harbaugh, who won a national championship with Michigan in Houston last January, took the blame for the loss.

“They were the better team today,” he said. “All respect to them. Not being the better team today, I’m accountable for that. That’s on me.”

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By KRISTIE RIEKEN
AP Sports Writer