Justin Herbert and his broken hand lead Chargers into playoffs against Patriots

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Justin Herbert and his broken left hand are rested and ready to lead the Los Angeles Chargers into the playoffs, where they haven’t won a game since the 2018 season.

Herbert and several other regulars sat out the Bolts’ 19-3 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday. In Herbert’s case, it was to protect his non-throwing hand for the playoffs after getting beat up all season long.

The Chargers (11-6) earned the No. 7 seed in the AFC and will be on the road throughout the playoffs. They’ll open Sunday night at AFC East champion New England (14-3).

“That’s the kind of game that does define your season,” second-year coach Jim Harbaugh said.

Herbert has yet to win a playoff game in six years. The Chargers’ most recent playoff victory was in the 2018 wild-card round against Baltimore. They went on to lose to the Patriots 41-28 in the division round.

“Our best football is at stake,” wide receiver Keenan Allen said. “We have to bring it. We’ll be ready, and he’ll be ready.”

What’s working

The defense continues to come up big, showing marked improvement during the team’s four-game winning streak late in the regular season. It ranks in the top five in third-down percentage allowed, while Khalil Mack and rookie Tuli Tuipulotu have led a solid pass rush.

What needs help

The offensive line suffered its biggest issues early on, losing tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater to season-ending injuries.

There have been other key injuries that created inconsistency at times and put pressure on Herbert, who was sacked a career-high 54 times in 16 games this season.

Stock up

DL Justin Eboigbe had two sacks against the Broncos and finished with six in the regular season. The second-year player was limited to 26 defensive snaps as a rookie after being a fourth-round pick in 2024.

Stock down

RB Omarion Hampton sat out Week 18 with an ankle injury. “He’s doing everything and anything he can to get back as fast as he can,” Harbaugh said Monday. Hampton had already spent several weeks on injured reserve with an injured ankle. Losing his explosive playmaking ability against the Patriots defense would be a big loss.

Injuries

The Chargers should be mostly healthy given that they rested their starters in the regular-season finale against Denver, including Herbert, S Derwin James Jr. and OL Bradley Bozeman. Hampton, LT Jamaree Salyer (hamstring) and S Elijah Molden (hamstring) were inactive.

Key number

5-0 — The Chargers’ record in prime-time games this season, with wins over Kansas City, Las Vegas, Minnesota, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

Next steps

The Chargers visit the second-seeded New England Patriots in a wild-card playoff game on Sunday.

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