LAS VEGAS — Watching Justin Herbert scramble for 41 yards in the Chargers’ regular-season finale against the Las Vegas Raiders, how could you not think it?
Watching Quentin Johnston catch everything Herbert threw in his vicinity, how could you not feel it?
This will be the season Justin Herbert finally wins his first playoff game — and maybe even his second.
The kind of postseason run that once was believed to be another year or two away suddenly feels within reach for Herbert and his team, which is entering the playoffs as the AFC’s No. 5 seed with a winnable wild-card game ahead against the Houston Texans.
“I think it’s always an exciting opportunity to go play in the playoffs,” Herbert said. “That’s all you want. You just want a ticket to the dance.”
By reaching the playoffs in their first season with Jim Harbaugh as their coach, the Chargers did what they set out to do this season.
They established a more physical style of play.
They transformed their culture.
They exorcised the fatalism that permeated their organization for almost the entirety of its existence.
But the Chargers might not have to wait for general manager Joe Hortiz to round out their roster over the next couple of offseasons to win some meaningful games, as their 34-20 victory over the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium opened the possibility of them doing something special right away.
“I think we’re in a good place,” Harbaugh said, “and fellas are ready to roll.”
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert passes against the Raiders in the second half Sunday.
(John Locher / Associated Press)
Their Week 18 game against the Raiders represented a fork in the road for the Chargers, with a loss sending them into another Harbaugh Bowl against the formidable Baltimore Ravens and a win into a matchup with the considerably more beatable Texans.
The Chargers responded by doing what they have done all season: They beat a team they should beat, with Herbert passing for 346 yards and two touchdowns.
Now, they will travel to Houston on Saturday to take on the fourth-seeded Texans, who, frankly, don’t look very good.
Playing behind a porous offensive line, Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has regressed in his second season. Receivers Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell were lost to season-ending knee injuries. The running game has been inconsistent.
Before closing the regular season with a 23-14 victory over the Tennessee Titans, the Texans were destroyed by the Ravens on Christmas Day.
If the Chargers can beat the Texans at NRG Stadium, who knows what else they can do? Their divisional-round opponent would be the Kansas City Chiefs, who might be a better matchup for them than the Ravens.
The game against the Texans will be only the second postseason game Herbert has played.
The other: The devastating loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars two years ago in which the Chargers blew a 27-point lead.
Herbert certainly has looked better prepared for a postseason breakthrough. His passer rating of 101.7 this season was a career best. Only three of his passes were intercepted this season, which was a career low.
He could be without his most important protector in Houston, however, as left tackle Rashawn Slater was inactive against the Raiders as “he felt something” in his knee during the team’s pregame stretch, according to Harbaugh.
Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston celebrates after Sunday’s win over the Raiders.
(Jeff Lewis / Associated Press)
Slater will undergo an MRI examination.
The Chargers emerged from their win over the Raiders with concerns about Slater but with optimism over the form of Johnston. A former first-round pick, Johnston’s career has been marred by drops, but he looked like a completely different receiver on Sunday, catching 13 passes for 186 yards.
Both were career highs.
Johnston recalled a particularly tough game he had in a loss to the Ravens in Week 12 when he was targeted five times only to finish without a catch.
He said he was grateful to his coaches and teammates for reassuring him that they still trusted him.
“At that point,” Johnston said, “I have no choice but to watch the film, get better and show up for my teammates.”
If Johnston can remain as dependable as he was on Sunday, he would give Herbert another legitimate receiving threat to go along with Ladd McConkey, who caught 82 passes for 1,149 yards as a rookie.
He gives Herbert and the Chargers a chance, not only on Saturday but also in the weeks ahead as well.
“It’s just a great opportunity,” Herbert said. “It’s all the hard work we’ve put in through OTAs and through camp and we’re now at this position. So we’ve got to make the most of it and take advantage of it.”