Many of the answers provided by coach Jim Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz in their Wednesday news conference were purposely ambiguous, offering minimal insight into what the Chargers would prioritize in the upcoming offseason.
Between their nonanswers, however, Harbaugh and Hortiz did what they could to emphasize one specific point: Even as Justin Herbert has become the subject of the kinds of criticisms that were once directed at Clayton Kershaw, the Chargers continue to believe in him.
“I wouldn’t spend two more seconds thinking about what happened in that game,” Harbaugh said of Herbert’s four-interception stinker in a loss to the Houston Texas.
“We’ll roll with him,” Hortiz said.
Quarterbacks are defined by what they do in the playoffs and Herbert’s postseason record is 0-2 in the wake of a 32-12 defeat to the Houston Texans in the AFC wild-card round.
Until that record improves, there will be plenty of noise about whether Herbert can win The Big One. That comes with playing quarterback in the NFL.
None of that will change how the Chargers view Herbert or how they will operate. Harbaugh proclaimed earlier in the season that Herbert was one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time; why would anything change?
The Chargers were Herbert’s team and they will remain Herbert’s team. Herbert still will be the foundation on which they are built.
“We want to support Justin the best we can,” Hortiz said. “That’s adding, building around him. You can support him in so many ways. You can help him with defense. You can help him with offense, offensive line, weapons, everything. That’s how I view it, like, “Hey, let’s make everyone around Justin better and Justin’s going to keep getting better himself.’
“I’ve not been around a quarterback like him, the work ethic, the determination, the leadership. It’s awesome to see. He lifts others up and we want to just bring more people around to lift up.”
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) found himself throwing under duress during their playoff loss to the Texans.
(Maria Lysaker / Associated Press)
Harbaugh added, “He inspires you to do anything and everything to put him in the best possible position because he is doing anything and everything that he can for this team.”
Herbert registered a career-best passer rating of 101.7 in his fifth NFL season, only to have more passes intercepted by the Texans than he did in the regular season.
Harbaugh said criticism of Herbert’s performance in Houston was “completely unfair.” The coach said he should be blamed for the result, although he never specified what he should have done differently.
“We did him a disservice and didn’t put him in positions to be successful,” Habaugh said.
In the immediate aftermath of the game, Harbaugh claimed Herbert played “like he always does,” and he didn’t back down from that questionable assertion.
“After watching the tape, I second that, double down on that statement,” Harbaugh said.
In defense of Herbert, he was under constant pressure. None of his receivers other than rookie Ladd McConkey could catch the ball.
The Chargers gained 261 yards on offense and McConkey accounted for 197 of them.
The game laid bare the team’s weaknesses and further clarified what Hortiz has to do in the offseason. The Chargers need to upgrade parts of their offensive line. They need a receiver. They need a pass-catching tight end. They need a running back.
Harbaugh said he didn’t feel it was necessary to speak to Herbert about the loss.
“He’s the opposite of the houseplant,” Harbaugh said. “He is pure cornfield. Just like field corn, doesn’t need to be talked to in a certain way, doesn’t need the conditions to be perfect, sunlight, shade, water, water content, soil content. Field corn, it’ll burrow down for any energy that it can find, it will rise up and start producing. That’s Justin Herbert.”
Hortiz defended Herbert by mentioning the playoff histories of other accomplished passers.
“I heard the narrative and all that, but there’s a lot of great quarterbacks in this league that may not have had the ideal start to their playoff career,” Hortiz said. “Peyton Manning was 0-3 in his first five years…. So if we’re going to set a narrative on Justin, that’s absurd.
“They’re going to roll me out of here before they roll him out, I can promise you that. He’s special, and special things are ahead for him.”