By the time Justin Herbert threw his first interception in exactly three months late in the third quarter, the Los Angeles Chargers’ second half against Tampa Bay was already falling apart.
The Chargers never recovered in the Buccaneers’ 40-17 win on Sunday. What started as an encouraging day quickly turned into a disaster, reminding everyone of the struggles the team has faced in recent seasons.
“You go through a game like this, and it’s tough,” Herbert said. “We got beat badly, and we have to do everything we can to learn from it and not let this one affect our next one.”
After leading 17-13 at halftime, the Chargers (8-6) suffered their third loss in four games. They were dominated in the second half by Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers, who scored the final 30 points of the game in what was seen as a matchup between potential playoff teams.
The NFL’s top-ranked defense gave up season highs of 40 points and 506 yards to Tampa Bay. Mayfield threw for 288 yards and four touchdowns, and the Buccaneers’ running game was just as powerful, rushing for 223 yards on 39 carries. Tampa Bay scored on eight of their first 10 possessions and never had to punt.
The Chargers had never been dominated like that all season.
“I feel like we didn’t get it done today on defense,” safety Derwin James said. “They punched us in the mouth, and we didn’t stop the run and the pass, or really anything. We didn’t stop anything today. … We just need to clean it up on our end as a secondary. I feel like this was one of our worst games as a secondary, completely.”
Los Angeles gave up over 500 total yards and 200 rushing yards in a game for only the seventh time in the franchise’s history. This was the third time in the last four seasons that the team allowed such a performance, including a game against Mayfield’s Cleveland Browns in 2021 — although the Chargers won that game 47-42.
“When a team rushes for 200 yards on you, that’s something that doesn’t sit right with me,” Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack said. “It’s just frustrating.”
This performance was a big surprise given how well the Chargers’ defense had been playing all season. They had held their first nine opponents to 20 points or fewer, but three of their last five opponents have scored at least 30 points.
“They’ve played almost perfectly all year, and it’s tough,” Herbert said of his defense.
Herbert’s offense struggled too, gaining only 64 yards after halftime and failing to score in the final 37 minutes. The running game struggled without injured J.K. Dobbins, and Herbert, who is also dealing with an injured ankle, found it difficult to pass effectively with no standout playmakers at the skill positions.
Herbert’s interception marked the end of his streak without one, adding to the team’s troubles.
Los Angeles was only down 23-17 in the third quarter when Herbert, under pressure, threw a pass from near the goal line. The ball was overthrown and intercepted by Tampa Bay’s Jamel Dean after receiver Quentin Johnston fell while trying to catch it.
That interception ended Herbert’s streak at 357 pass attempts without one, the fifth-longest streak in NFL history.
“You play quarterback without fear, and I’m going to take my shots,” Herbert said. “I’m going to throw the ball downfield, and I’ve got to be smart about it and understand that maybe a throwaway is better in that situation.
You can’t take out the aggressive mentality of throwing the ball downfield, especially to one of your playmakers. But I’ve got to do a better job there.”
Herbert and his teammates all agreed that they need to move on from this game quickly, as the Denver Broncos (9-5) will be at SoFi Stadium on Thursday night for an important game for both teams’ playoff hopes.
Los Angeles won 23-17 at Denver in October, holding a 23-point lead in the fourth quarter before holding on with a toughness the Chargers couldn’t find against Tampa Bay.
“Next week is a must-win game, the most important game of our season,” James said. “I can’t wait to get ready and prepare for it. Just wasn’t our day today.”
