The Chargers overcame a very, very rough start to their game against the Texans to fall just short in a rematch of their playoff game from January.
After allowing 14 points in the first six minutes, the Chargers defense hung on to allow just six points through the remaining ~34 minutes. Unfortunately their own 16 points over that span felt short, especially given Cameron Dicker’s four points left off the board (missed FG, XP) which would have made it a tie game in those final few minutes.
But alas,
the Bolts have to move on and prepare for the postseason. A win over the Broncos would help with their playoff seeding, but a win in the wild card round is much more prevalent for the team’s mental state than sweeping the Broncos and AFC West.
With that said, let’s go ahead and check out the highest and lowest graded players on the Chargers from their loss to the Texans.
Offense
Best (min. 20 snaps)
WR Quentin Johnston – 76.1
OG Zion Johnson – 69.4
OT Austin Deculus – 69.1
QB Justin Herbert – 69.0
RB Omarion Hampton – 62.7
Johnston followed up his big game against the Cowboys with another one where he recorded 98 receiving yards on five receptions.
Johnston and Deculus stood out on a day where it was a horrendous draw to play offensive line. Zion posted a 65.2 in run blocking and a 72.5 in pass blocking, making him the only qualifying linemen to finish with both grades above 60.0. Deculus entered the game after Bobby Hart was benched and managed to finish with the team’s best run blocking grade at 83.4.
Hampton’s 48.9 in pass blocking was the only culprit to sink his grade as he finished with marks above 60.0 in every other category.
Worst
OG Mekhi Becton – 36.3
OT Bobby Hart – 37.3
OT Trey Pipkins – 47.1
WR Keenan Allen – 50.2
WR Ladd McConkey – 52.5
Hart finished with a team-low 31.1 in pass blocking while Becton owned the lowest run blocking grade at 31.7. Pipkins wasn’t much better than Hart in pass protection as he finished with a 38.0 in that area.
Allen’s grade was hit hard by his big drop that ended an early Chargers drive. Herbert put it right on the money but the vet could not secure it in the way we all have come to take for granted. McConkey was quiet for most of the night after posting a huge game against this team in January’s playoff loss. He had just one catch for 31 yards.
Defense
Best
EDGE Khalil Mack – 90.9
S Elijah Molden – 87.5
DT Jamaree Caldwell – 77.7
EDGE Odafe Oweh – 67.1
CB Cam Hart – 65.9
Mack may have only recorded two sacks on quarterback CJ Stroud, but his impact was felt in every phase throughout Sunday’s loss. He had grades above 73.0 in tackling, run defense, and coverage.
Molden hadn’t recorded a single impact play all year in the stat box entering Week 17…until this week when he picked off his first pass of the year. He hasn’t looked like himself, and that may be due to the injury he sustained last year, but this was a good sign to see just before the postseason. His 81.7 in coverage was tops on the team.
Caldwell posted a team-high 77.3 in run defense 68.4 in tackling. Both solid grades earned him one of his best games of the year by PFF. Hart allowed just one reception on three targets for 15 yards.
Worst
CB Donte Jackson – 31.3
S Tony Jefferson – 43.3
DT Teair Tart – 51.2
EDGE Tuli Tuipulotu – 52.9
LB Daiyan Henley – 60.7
Jackson seemingly took the fault for the game’s opening 75-yard touchdown to Texans wideout Jayden Higgins but I don’t personally think that was the case. He was playing Quarters coverage (zone) and would never have played that soft and with that technique if he didn’t expect to have help on the inside.
Jefferson got caught jumping on an underneath curl route that left Molden on an island against speedy wideout Jaylin Noel who took a deep crosser behind “Unc” for a 43-yard touchdown.
Tart’s 47.6 in run defense was the second-worst mark on the team but that was balanced with a team-high 82.4 as a pass rusher. Tuipulotu unfortunately posted an abysmal day as a tackler, finishing with a 26.8 in that area, good for second worst behind Jackson.
Henley ended the day with the team’s best tackling grade at 83.7. His 73.4 in pass rush was also good for second best.
