Justin Herbert suffers break in hand, unclear if he’ll play next week

Ladies and gentlemen, winners Justin Herbert.

Give him your hand.

( Chargers I wish you could.)

Herbert, who has been knocked out all season but has avoided injury so far, saw the series disappoint on Sunday, although the Chargers came away with a goal. 31-14 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. It was the Chargers' most lopsided victory in the contest since 2008.

The star spiraling quarterback suffered a broken bone in his left (non-throwing) hand, which will require him to undergo a medical procedure on Monday, according to coach Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh said he doesn't know whether Herbert will miss time with the injury, but Herbert told reporters he's approaching this week as if he'll play in the Chargers' next game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Dec. 8.

Herbert only missed part of one series against the Raiders and led his team to victory in the AFC West, but his opportunities were limited.

He had to operate out of the shotgun rather than under center, wasn't as sharp or accurate as usual, and protected a gloved left hand that looked borrowed from a Macy's mannequin. However, he was still better than most NFL quarterbacks, even with one arm tied behind his back. He completed 15 of 20 passes for 151 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.

Herbert's injury is an ominous sign for the franchise, which faces an extremely difficult regular season finale with games remaining against Philadelphia, Kansas City, Dallas, Houston and Denver. The Chargers need to win at least two of them to have a realistic chance of making the postseason.

On Sunday, the teams were tied 7-7 at halftime. The Chargers (8-4) scored with a 10-yard touchdown run by Quentin Johnston on their first possession, and the Raiders responded in the second quarter with a six-yard touchdown reception from Brock Bowers.

Raiders quarterback Geno Smith was intercepted once during the half by Tony Jefferson, who made an acrobatic pass on the sideline, and the visitors responded with a Herbert punt in the end zone.

Chargers running back Kimani Vidal broke that tie in the third quarter with a 59-yard touchdown run, and his team extended that lead with Ladd McConkey's seven-yard touchdown reception late in the quarter. Vidal finished with 126 yards on 25 carries, while McConkey led Chargers receivers with 39 yards on four catches.

The Chargers' defense pinned the Raiders (2-10), limiting them to 31 yards rushing and one first-down on the ground. Las Vegas has had a franchise-record seven straight games with fewer than 75 yards rushing, a statistic worsened by the Raiders using the sixth overall pick on running back Ashton Ginty last spring.

Smith was sacked four times and threw for 125 yards on 18-of-23 passing.

The Raiders did have an impressive moment: an ankle-high, one-handed touchdown catch from a falling Bowers in the fourth quarter. It was his second touchdown catch in three games, as the first was nullified because Harbaugh called a timeout moments before the snap.

Herbert was injured with about five minutes left in the first quarter when he stepped into the pocket, scrambled left and gained a yard before being tackled by cornerback Jeremy Chinn. The defender's left hand collided with the defender's helmet.

Although Herbert rose to his feet and scored a touchdown on the next play, television replays later showed his hand as he made his way to the sideline with the tip of his finger appearing to be bent in an unnatural way.

Chargers cornerback Justin Herbert was sacked by Raiders cornerback Maxx Crosby in the third quarter Sunday.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Victory over the raiders was non-negotiable. Las Vegas entered the game having lost nine of its last 10 games and was fresh off a two-touchdown home loss to Cleveland in which Smith was sacked 10 times.

It's been a sad year for first-year Raiders coach Pete Carroll, who said goodbye to offensive coordinator Chip Kelly last week. Greg Olson replaced him as interim player, but was also unsuccessful. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas—or so the rest of the league prays.

Raiders fans are so devastated that a game that would normally have seen the Silver and Black take over Sophie Stadium was much closer to 50/50.

Meanwhile, the Chargers struggled to recapture the magic of September, when they opened the season with three straight division wins. Injuries made it a fantasy as the team has gone 5-4 since then, including blowout losses to Washington, Indianapolis and Jacksonville.