Chargers wowed by Herbert’s toughness in playing through broken bone in non-throwing hand

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Justin Herbert gave the Los Angeles Chargers another opportunity to rave about their star quarterback when he played through a broken bone in his non-throwing hand in a 31-14 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

“When you think there’s not another rung that he could possibly go, he finds it,” coach Jim Harbaugh said Monday. “It’s impressive.”

Herbert’s willingness to play through adversity has been tested this season as he has taken the third-most sacks in the NFL (38). He was sacked a career-high 41 times all of last year.

That the Chargers are 8-4 despite Herbert being on pace to take the most hits of his career is a testament to the QB’s combination of ability and determination. But the constant abuse increased the likelihood that Herbert would not make it through the season unscathed.

Herbert was slated to have surgery on Monday afternoon. He expressed optimism after Sunday’s victory that he would be ready to start against the Philadelphia Eagles next Monday night.

The Chargers also lucked out with the injury happening against the hapless Raiders, allowing them to focus on running the offense from the shotgun or pistol without losing any effectiveness with their rushing attack. Herbert did take a handful of snaps from under center on the sideline, but he did not do so after returning to the game.

Harbaugh admitted that might not be feasible going forward, and that backup Trey Lance would get more snaps in practice this week.

“Justin, he’s one of those quarterbacks that takes all the reps. He’s a machine like that, and we got to make sure that Trey’s getting more of those goal-line reps, those situations under center,” Harbaugh said.

Harbaugh, who played quarterback in the NFL for 14 seasons, expects Herbert should be able to adjust to any other changes the injury might require, such as handing the ball off to a running back.

“It’s like a card dealer, you know. You get good at improving and adjusting,” Harbaugh said.

The main thing Harbaugh took away from Sunday was an increased appreciation for Herbert’s toughness, comparing him to the likes of Brett Favre and Bobby Douglass.

“There’s never any, like, grimace or flinch, you know,” Harbaugh said. “Got up, took the ball, threw it to the official … (made) a couple impossible throws after that, you know. It’s amazing.”

What’s working

If there were any lingering frustrations from a dismal showing in Jacksonville before the bye week, the defensive front took them out on Las Vegas by amassing five sacks and eight tackles for loss. Tuli Tuipulotu had a good chunk of the damage, finishing with two sacks and four tackles for loss. The Chargers held the Raiders to 31 yards rushing and 1.7 yards per carry.

What needs help

For the second straight game, the Chargers’ pass defense had trouble between the numbers. There’s only one Brock Bowers, but the All-Pro tight end had four receptions for 63 yards and two touchdowns for the Raiders. Philadelphia could try to exploit that deficiency with seam and crossing routes, especially to tight end Dallas Goedert.

Stock up

Kimani Vidal and Jaret Patterson were outstanding, combining for 180 yards rushing and two scores. Patterson, who was signed to the active roster Saturday, scored his first rushing touchdown since Jan. 2, 2022, when he was a rookie with Washington.

Stock down

It was a quiet day for wide receiver Keenan Allen, who finished with four catches for 30 yards. The veteran has topped 50 yards receiving once in his past five games as targets have been spread out more evenly.

Injuries

Running back Omarion Hampton (ankle) has a chance to play next Monday after returning to practice last week, which would give the Chargers their rookie first-round pick back.

Key number

3.4 — The Chargers held the Raiders to 3.4 yards per play, their fourth game this season holding the opponent under 4 yards.

Next steps

The Chargers host the Eagles on Monday night. They need a victory to have any realistic shot at chasing down the Denver Broncos in the AFC West. However, Los Angeles is already 0-2 against the NFC East and totaled 28 points in losses to the New York Giants and Commanders.

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