Justin Herbert continued his red-hot performances of the last two weeks with 356 yards and two touchdowns in the Chargers' 34-20 victory over the Raiders.
It wasn't just Herbert but second-year receiver Quentin Johnston who put on a performance unlike any he has had to this point.
The former TCU product had 13 catches for 186 yards while showing it with screens, out routes, and even down the field.
More on that, but coming into week 18, it was unknown where the Chargers would be headed in the first round. Cincinnati versus Pittsburgh on Saturday night meant that if the Chargers handled business against the Raiders, they would secure the fifth seed—which they did.
The Chargers will travel to Houston for a round one matchup against CJ Stroud and the Texans on Saturday, January 11th at 1:30 p.m. PT.
DJ Cabanlong- The Sporting Tribune
Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. (3) hypes up the crowd during an NFL game between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday January 5, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nev.
It took the Chargers offense a bit to wake up.
The first drive resulted in a three-and-out. On the second drive, they drove up the field 55 yards, but Cameron Dicker missed a 51-yard field goal, which doesn't happen often.
They scored points on the next five straight drives, including three field goals from Dicker, but it was the drive before halftime that gave the Chargers their first lead.
They had just kicked a field goal to cut into the Raiders lead and get it to 10-9. Aidan O'Connell dropped back on 2nd-and-5 from his 31-yard line and threw a bad pass to running back Alexander Mattinson, which Daiyan Henley intercepted with 38 seconds before halftime.
Herbert took the offense to the red zone with two passes for 24 yards to Johnston. They got their first touchdown of the game when Herbert threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to DJ Chark. They decided to go for two, so Herbert scrambled to his right with cornerback Jack Jones coming at him. He converted with a pass to McConkey in the back of the end zone.
Chargers had a 17-10 lead going into the half.
In the second half, the Chargers continued their offensive ability to move the football but not reach the end zone. They went on a 13-play drive for 69 yards, but they stalled at the one-yard line. They had three chances with three runs, and neither of them worked. They settled for a 20-yard field goal from Dicker to go up 20-10.
Rookie tight end sensation Brock Bowers had been quiet until he caught a 21-yard pass from O'Connell on 3rd-and-8 to extend the drive. Their offense wouldn't be able to convert a first down at the Chargers 29, so Daniel Carlson made a 47-yard field goal to cut into the lead at 20-13.
On the next Chargers drive, Herbert showed off his wheels on 2nd-and-4 from the Raiders' 45 when he took off running for 41 yards. This time, the offense would find the end zone when Herbert found tight end Will Dissly for a 2-yard touchdown to put them up 27-10.
DJ Cabanlong- The Sporting Tribune
Los Angeles Chargers tight-end Tucker Fisk (42) spikes the ball after a Chargers’ touchdown during an NFL game between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday January 5, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nev.
The Chargers' defense came up big on the next drive when the Raiders moved the ball to the Chargers' 18-yard line. On 4th-and-10, O'Connell threw a pass into the back of the end zone to Bowers, but Derwin James was there to knock him out of bounds.
Herbert came back out to put the finishing touches on the game. He threw a pass down the sideline to Johnston, who made the grab 39-yard grab. It was an impressive catch from the second-year receiver. Running back Hassan Haskins finished the drive off with a 2-yard rushing touchdown.
The performance from Johnston is what the Chargers will need in the playoffs. There are question marks on whether Joshua Palmer is nursing a foot injury.
Harbaugh takes his team to the playoffs in his first season with a six-game turnaround, going from 5-12 last season to 11-6 in 2024. Now, let's see if he can get his first playoff win.