For Herbert, who is shockingly 2-0 now with a broken hand and 3-0 in games when he has taken six-plus sacks, making the decision to play with a broken left hand wasn’t much of a decision at all.
“Honestly, I just think about the guys in that locker room and they do it for us,” he said. “There’s been a lot of guys, I think Troy Dye and Elijah Molden were hurt and I think they were playing the next week as well. They probably don’t get enough credit for that. Just because I’m a quarterback, I get talked about but these guys, they fight and there’s so many guys in this locker room that are fighting through so many other injuries and the least I can do is show up and do my best for them.”
It took little time Monday for Herbert to show he was up to the task of leading the Chargers despite being essentially a one-handed QB. He moved LA 80 yards on six plays in just 2:49 on the opening drive, hitting Kimani Vidal on a layup, as the quarterback roared down the sideline for a 60-yard gain. A few plays later, Herbert again hit Omarion Hampton for a 4-yard touchdown.
Unfortunately, that was the Chargers’ last trip to the end zone. They relied on five field goals from Cameron Dicker and a defense that shut down the lights — along with Herbert who willed them forward.
Vidal had just one catch for 60 yards — a team high. Second behind him was leading receiver Keenan Allen with a modest three catches for 22 yards.
In a chaotic Week 14 finale that featured eight combined turnovers and the winning team managed just 275 yards of offense, Herbert and Co. trailing, 19-16, with 2:16 left when they took over at their own 28-yard line.
Herbert drove the Chargers 43 yards in 11 plays to set up Dicker’s game-tying 46-yard field goal. He had three carries for 20 yards on the walk.
LA took the ball to open overtime and Herbert was more than game, opening with a 12-yard tackle around right tackle as he stiff-armed Reed Blankenship with a broken hand.
“He’s a superhero. He’s a competitive freak,” Harbaugh said. “He even had stiff-armed guys with broken hands.”
Said Herbert of the feat: “At that point it was probably just instinctive.”
Instinct, grit and composure saw Herbert carry the Balls 34 yards in six plays to set up Dicker’s final field goal, a 54-yarder.
Safety Tony Jefferson then intercepted Jalen Hurts to seal the win, as the LA defense was truly the catalyst.
However, it was the one-handed QB who was the hero on Monday night.