Justin Herbert could glance at the Chargers' “See the Lights, Feel the Thunder” sign above the field-level facilities as his offensive linemen pulled him onto the Sophie Stadium turf.
Herbert definitely felt thunder against the Texans. The NFL's top defense recorded 26 pressures as it tore through the Chargers' offensive line en route to the goal. 20-16 win on Saturday.
And Herbert saw lightningbest represented by second-string defensive end Derek Barnett, who recorded back-to-back sacks to stop the Chargers' first drive of the second half.
The last of Barnett's takedowns – part of the Texans' five sacks and eight tackles for loss – came when he flew past Bobby Hart and picked off Herbert for a loss of seven yards.
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Sam Farmer breaks down what went wrong for the Chargers in their 20-16 loss to the Houston Texans on Saturday.
“I mean, it's just football,” Hart said when asked if he was fixating on Barnett's pair of sacks or the one-on-one loss to Texans cornerback Danielle Hunter in the first quarter that caused Herbert to wince and favor his surgically repaired left arm.
Hart added: “People make plays – the defensive backs, the guys, catch the ball. The defensive backs might have some throws that you want to get back. It's just part of the game of football.”
Coach Jim Harbaugh said he pulled Hart in the third quarter because the 31-year-old “couldn’t get into a rhythm.”
Austin Deculus replaced Hart and Trevor Penning temporarily replaced Mekhi Becton Jr. at right guard, creating the Chargers' 24th offensive line combination of the season. But in a game that showcased the quality of defense the Chargers could face in the postseason, an offensive line hit hard by the losses of Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt to injury struggled to adequately protect Herbert.
“Too many mistakes,” right tackle Trey Pipkins III said. “Whatever it was — sacks and untimely situations — we started off really slow.”
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert takes the field during the second half of a 20-16 loss to the Houston Texans at Sophie Stadium on Sunday.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
The Chargers trailed 14-3 at halftime, scoring on each of their first four drives. Herbert, who had 236 passing yards along with a touchdown and an interception, took advantage of Houston's penalties and standout plays to generate more drives.
Late in the third quarter, Texans defensive lineman Sheldon Rankins burst past left guard Zion Johnson and then quickly ran past center Bradley Bozeman while helping the defense and grabbed Herbert by the waist. Instead of going to the ground for the sack – a potential sixth overall – Herbert connected with receiver Quentin Johnston for the first down.
Moments later, freshman running back Omarion Hampton scored on a five-yard run to make it a four-point game. Aside from the touchdown, the Chargers' running game was virtually nonexistent. Herbert had a team-best 37 yards rushing, 28 on one run.
Hampton had just 29 yards on 14 carries, a career-low 2.1 yards per carry. The Texans' rushing attack yielded just 74 yards, the second-most that Houston has given up this season.
“We just shot ourselves in the foot,” said Johnson, who appeared in every Chargers combination with Bozeman. “It all starts with us. We must protect [Herbert] better. We need to do better in the run game. Too many missed opportunities.”
The Texans exposed the extent of the Chargers offensive line's weakness. With the playoffs two weeks away, can they fix their defensive woes?
“Learn from it,” Harbaugh said. “Some of the things that happened today, cleanse them and use them to become a better person tomorrow.”
