INGLEWOOD — Justin Herbert absorbed a late hit on the sideline, bounced to his feet and winked at the Chargers’ coaching staff before heading back to the huddle. He threw his first interception of the season later Sunday, smashed his finger on an opponent’s face mask and didn’t miss an offensive play.
Herbert emerged from the medical tent on the sideline with his left middle finger and hand padded and wrapped. He couldn’t take a direct snap from center, but stood in the shotgun and directed a game-clinching drive in the closing minutes of a 24-17 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.
He was thumped to the SoFi Stadium artificial turf by Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby, but that didn’t slow him down, either. He put away the game with a 51-yard laser to wide receiver Josh Palmer, converting on a third-and-10 situation from his own 11-yard line with less than two minutes to play.
“My boy got heart,” Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen said of Herbert.
Herbert also had some bumps and bruises that could use some healing, but especially his finger. The Chargers’ bye week couldn’t come at a better time for him and several of his teammates, including edge rusher Joey Bosa, running back Austin Ekeler and safety Derwin James Jr.
“Just a flesh wound,” Herbert said.
Wait, seriously?
No, he was simply dropping a line from an old Monty Python movie.
Herbert then took issue with Coach Brandon Staley’s description of him winking at the coaches after the Raiders’ Jerry Tillery cracked him well out of bounds after a scramble, raising the ire of nearly everyone on the Chargers’ sideline, drawing a 15-yard penalty and earning an ejection.
“I’m not one to wink,” Herbert said.
Herbert ran for two touchdowns, threw for a third and generally played the role of team leader to the hilt Sunday, guiding the Chargers to their second consecutive victory and a 2-2 record going into their bye week. He completed 13 of 24 passes for 167 yards and ran 12 times for another 27 yards.
“He’s a thug, obviously,” Chargers linebacker Eric Kendricks said, smiling.
The Chargers’ toughness was put to the test by the Raiders, who were playing without injured quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. They responded with equal parts of fury and subtlety, fired up after Tillery’s hit on Herbert and building a 24-7 lead by halftime thanks to an effective mix of running and passing.
They ran for 155 yards by game’s end and limited the Raiders to 76 yards rushing. Las Vegas running back Josh Jacobs, the NFL’s top rusher last season, gained 58 yards on 17 carries for an average of 3.4 yards per game. Jacobs and rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell each rushed for a TD.
Edge rusher Khalil Mack led the Chargers’ defense with a career-best six sacks of O’Connell, and he also forced two fumbles that they turned into touchdowns en route to their 24-7 halftime lead. Mack had a Chargers-leading 10 tackles overall and pressured O’Connell relentlessly.
“He was just going his thing,” Chargers defensive lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day said of Mack, a seven-time Pro Bowl selection who was one quarterback sack shy of Derrick Thomas’ NFL record of seven set in November 1990. “He was in a zone, and I’m happy he was, man.”
With the Raiders driving for a game-tying touchdown, Chargers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. intercepted O’Connell’s pass intended for Jakobi Meyers at the 2-yard line and returned it to the 11. Samuel could have and should have returned it farther, but went into a slide at the 11 with 2:33 to play.
“It’s a learning opportunity for him,” Staley said.
It also was another nail-biter for the Chargers, who let another double-digit lead evaporate. It happened in an overtime loss to the Tennessee Titans in Week 2, when a 11-0 lead slipped away. It also happened in victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3, when they led 21-10.
Sunday, Daniel Carlson’s 22-yard field goal cut the Raiders’ deficit to 24-10 in the third quarter and then Jacobs’ 1-yard run made it 24-17 in the fourth. The Chargers put the game away thanks to Samuel’s interception and Herbert’s deep pass to Palmer with the game still up for grabs.
“You guys saw Justin’s toughness, not that we needed to show anybody how tough he is,” Staley said. “He’s a clutch player. He has always played (his best) in the clutch. No matter what type of game it is, at the end of the game, he’s always going to be there and that throw is a great example of it.”