Alexander: Chargers disappoint a crowd that was pretty much all theirs
INGLEWOOD – Saturday’s game against the Houston Texans was the Chargers’ final home game of the 2025 regular season, and – belying the reputation attached to this franchise – the announced paid attendance of 73,066 represented a true home field advantage.
It didn’t help. And now the chances are that this might be the Chargers’ last SoFi Stadium appearance of the season.
Two quick strikes in the first six minutes of the game by Houston quarterback (and Rancho Cucamonga’s own) C.J. Stroud, touchdown plays of 75 and 43 yards to Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, put the home team on its back foot. And a myriad of miscues – including an uncharacteristic two missed kicks by the Chargers’ Cameron Dicker, on a 32-yard field goal try that went wide right near the end of the first half and an extra point that he doinked off the left goalpost – helped produce a 20-16 loss that put any chance for a division title out of reach.
At 11-5, they’re two games behind Denver with one left to play. And with the No. 7 spot in the AFC standings seemingly theirs unless they win at Denver next week and the Texans (also 11-5) stumble at Indianapolis, chances are their first playoff game will be at New England, 12-3 and facing the woeful Jets (3-12) Sunday on the road and Miami (6-9) next week at home.
In a word: B-r-r-r-r-r-r. Have your parkas ready, guys.
It’s easy to be pessimistic and assume the Chargers’ story will be one-and-out, given the team’s history. It’s up to the current club, which had won seven of eight before Saturday, to change that narrative. Maybe next week’s regular season finale in Denver will turn out to be far more important than it seems at this moment.
And yes, the tone (and verbiage) in the locker room, as expressed by quarterback Justin Herbert, is what you might expect.
“It’s been a one-game season each week,” he said. “Every game is the most important, and you dive into it and you give it your all each week. And I’ve got no doubt that this team will do that again next week.”
And, when asked if the regular season finale is vital in regaining momentum to take into the postseason:
“Every game is important, especially that one, because it’s the next one. They’re a very good opponent. We know how good they are offensively, defensively and on special teams. And so it’s gonna take a good week of preparation for us. We gotta be on our stuff, dialed, locked in and have a good week of practice.”
The hometown crowd was boisterous as the afternoon began, hushed after those back-to-back daggers on the Texans’ first two series made it 14-0, and noisy again as the Chargers fought back to within 17-10 in the third quarter and trailed 20-16 with 3:37 left in the game on Omarion Hampton’s burst into the end zone, before Dicker’s doink put them out of range of a potential tying field goal.
Beyond those two defensive blemishes at the start, the Chargers were 2 for 5 in the red zone, The other touchdown was a 1-yard scoring reception by Oronde Gadsden in the third quarter, sort of atoning for the Herbert bullet that slipped through his hands and was picked off by Houston’s Azeez Al-Shaair at the Texans 1.
That pick was one of the three missed red zone opportunities. The others: Dicker’s made field goal early in the second quarter, settling for three rather than a chance at seven after the Chargers had gotten to the Houston 9, and that missed field goal at the very end of the first half, after Eric Molten had made up for Gadsden’s muff by intercepting Stroud at the Houston 32 with 45 seconds left in the half.
“We know what we’re capable of,” coach Jim Harbaugh said. “But yeah, things that were just off a little bit. (There’s) things to clean up and make us better going forward.”
Yeah, there was plenty to clean up.
Besides Dicker’s issues, punter JK Scott had an off day as well, a 38.4 average on seven punts including a 22-yard shank early in the third quarter, leading to a field goal that gave Houston a 17-3 lead. There was also a 34-yarder early in the fourth quarter, and after that one Scott heard some boos.
Saturday’s result, and the way it developed, “definitely leaves a bad taste in my mouth,” safety Derwin James Jr. said. “But at the end of the day, our end goal’s still right there, winning that Super Bowl. So, just get better from it, look at the film, get better. You’re not going to beat nobody in this league spotting them 14, so you got to go out there and play hard.”
True progress will be determined from here on. And, as noted, in all likelihood it’ll take place away from SoFi. But the crowd and atmosphere on this day suggested that the Chargers’ fan base need not apologize to anyone.
Fact is – and yes, this might hurt if you were a fan in San Diego and felt that the team was ripped away from you – if you squinted real hard Saturday it might have seemed like the atmosphere of the good old days at Qualcomm Stadium, right down to the navy blue throwbacks the home team wore.
This was so different from all those occasions the last few years when visiting fans have made the most noise in this building, both for the Chargers and for the Rams. That was, and is, the consequence of two decades without the NFL in this community.
“Thought it was awesome,” Herbert said, adding that with “the environment and how much the community has given us, I think it’s really cool to be able to see that from the fans. And I’m sorry that we didn’t get it done for them. We felt their support, felt their noise, but it was a cool experience to see so many Chargers fans.
“… It’s on us to be able to deliver and give them a performance that is worthy of their support.”
That process starts now, even if it figures to be from long distance.
jalexander@scng.com