Breaking News During a season in which they\u2019ve experienced an unexpected number of losses, the Chargers now face the possibility of their most crippling loss if Herbert is unavailable moving forward. Chargers<\/a> Dodgers<\/a>
An already fractured season suffered its most significant setback yet Sunday when the Chargers<\/a> lost Justin Herbert<\/a> to a broken right index finger.
The team\u2019s franchise quarterback could not return after being hurt late in the second quarter of what became a 24-7 loss to Denver<\/a> at SoFi Stadium.
Herbert is scheduled to undergo further testing Monday with the Chargers facing a short turnaround before traveling to face Las Vegas on Thursday night.
\u201cYou feel bad for hanging the team out like that,\u201d Herbert said. \u201cYou never want to be taken out of the game.\u201d
The second half Sunday represented the first significant stretch Herbert has missed because of injury since taking over as the Chargers\u2019 starter in Week 2 of the 2020 season.
This season, he was able to continue playing through a fractured left middle finger<\/a> suffered Oct. 1 against the Raiders.
With this problem on his throwing hand, however, Herbert\u2019s availability now is in question. He said he couldn\u2019t return against the Broncos because he was unable to grip the ball.
Herbert also did not rule out the possibility of needing surgery.
\u201cIt\u2019s something that we\u2019ll know more [about] as the week goes on,\u201d he said. \u201cIf there\u2019s any chance to play, I\u2019ll do everything I can to be out there. I\u2019m going to do everything I can in the treatment room to get back to 100%.\u201d
The injury occurred on one of the several hits Herbert absorbed as Denver\u2019s pressure continually overpowered the Chargers\u2019 protection plans. He was sacked four times on a day when the offense again failed to sustain any success.
Chargers<\/a>
Breaking down the notable numbers behind the Chargers\u2019 24-7 home loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday \u2014 scoring and statistics.
Dec. 10, 2023
The Chargers trailed 17-0 into the fourth quarter before finally striking after backup quarterback Easton Stick hit rookie Quentin Johnston for a 57-yard gain. Three plays later, Austin Ekeler scored the Chargers\u2019 only points.
\u201cThe best thing for us is that we play on Thursday,\u201d coach Brandon Staley said. \u201cWe have to put this one behind us quickly.\u201d
The loss dropped the Chargers to 5-8 and all but ended whatever fading playoff chances remained for a team that has underachieved this season, leading to speculation of sweeping changes in the coming weeks.
Late in the third quarter, chants for Staley\u2019s firing could be heard. Those chants returned before the game concluded.
In his third season \u2014 with a regular-season record of 24-23 \u2014 Staley took the Chargers to the playoffs last season. But that team blew a 27-0 lead at Jacksonville in the AFC wild-card round and lost 31-30.
Asked about the possibility of losing his job, Staley said he was focused solely on the Raiders.
\u201cI have a team that\u2019s hurting in there,\u201d he explained. \u201cWe have to rally. We have to make sure that we get a good two days of practice before we travel and get ready to play a division game.\u201d
General manager Tom Telesco<\/a> also has been under fire. He\u2019s in his 11th year, with his teams winning only two playoff games.
The expectation remains that ownership will allow the rest of the season to play out before making any decisions but the Chargers certainly are performing like a team in need of a comprehensive reset.
\u201cObviously frustrated,\u201d wide receiver Keenan Allen said. \u201cThe season didn\u2019t go how you wanted it to. Still got, what, four games left. Keep battling.\u201d
Allen called the loss of Herbert \u201cvery tough,\u201d noting that nearly every starting snap in practice has gone to the team\u2019s fourth-year quarterback.
While expressing confidence in Stick, several Chargers acknowledged the obvious: Herbert being out is something that would be difficult to overcome, especially for an offense that has sputtered mightily of late.
The Chargers finished Sunday 0 of 12 on third down and one of six on fourth down. They punted five times, lost the ball on downs four times and twice turned it over.
In their last three games, the Chargers have totaled 10, six and seven points, producing two touchdowns on 34 possessions.
\u201cWe gotta get more touchdowns,\u201d Ekeler said. \u201cThat\u2019s not good, not good at all. We gotta make sure we\u2019re putting some drives together. We have some splash plays here and there, but it\u2019s been broken. We\u2019ve gotta put a drive together.\u201d
Herbert was nine of 17 for 96 yards with one interception before he went out. Stick finished 13 of 24 for 179 yards. He fumbled twice, losing one of them.
Before Sunday, Stick had played only two regular-season snaps, both coming in 2020. He was a fifth-round pick in 2019 and served primarily as the Chargers\u2019 third quarterback before being promoted to backup this year.
Chargers<\/a>
The Chargers continued to falter and now have lost starting quarterback Justin Herbert to injury, proving this franchise needs to clean house.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt sucks, especially at the quarterback position where that\u2019s your leader on the field,\u201d Ekeler said. \u201cBut the dude\u2019s so tough. I\u2019m so proud of him and how he\u2019s continued to grow as a person and in his leadership on the field.\u201d
All of that could be missing when the Chargers meet the Raiders with their season nearly extinguished.
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Jeff Miller is the Chargers beat writer for the Los Angeles Times. He previously spent 20 years as a sports columnist for the Orange County Register and, before that, the Miami Herald. He also served as the Angels beat writer for The Times and the Register. His other stops include the Palm Beach Post and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
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