Justin Herbert outplayed by rookie, offensive struggles resurface. Was it a blip, or are the Chargers truly pretenders?
The Los Angeles Chargers (11-7) fell to the New England Patriots (15-3) on Sunday night, 16-3. It was the type of game that makes one reconsider all the positive beliefs they had about the Chargers heading into the game.
The theme of the 2025 season for the Chargers has been, "Is this team different?" By that we are asking if they are different, of course, than past Chargers teams that fell short in recent memory. If Sunday's game is the primary data point, the answer is an emphatic one: the 2025 Chargers were no different than the ones that fell short before.
It's best not to overreact to results one way or the other. One win does not indicate future results any more than one loss does. Even so, it's hard to ignore the near goose egg the Chargers laid on the road against the Patriots on Sunday night.
In a way, there's really no excuse for Sunday's display. Top 10 quarterbacks, which by all accounts many believe Los Angeles Justin Herbert to be, don't get held to three points unless neither team can generate offense due to the weather. In reality, Herbert simply was outplayed on Sunday.
New England quarterback Drake Maye entered the game with far less experience than the veteran Herbert. Yet it was Herbert who looked less comfortable on Sunday. Maye completed 17 of 29 passes for 268 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Herbert completed 19 of 31 passes for 159 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. It was a classic example of Herbert having neither a positive nor negative impact on the game.
Fair or unfair Herbert's neutral effect on games is one of the defining stories of his career to this point. Like other good quarterbacks, Herbert is consistently good and talented enough to get the Chargers to the postseason or put the team in position to beat the teams they should beat.
Nobody credible denies he is a good player. They simply question when he will elevate his team in the postseason or be the reason Los Angeles beats the best of the best teams. To this point, it just has not happened consistently.
Despite what might be assumed by the above sentiments, the 16-3 loss does not permanently define Herbert or the Chargers. It's simply a reality check: something needs to change for this team to reach the next level and win in the playoffs. It's possible, but it will take work.
The Chargers have work to do this offseason. They will start by taking a look in the mirror and figuring out where they need to get better.