Chargers Score A 4-Point Touchdown After Blocked Extra Point

The Los Angeles Chargers came into Saturday afternoon’s Wild Card game in Houston as small favorites over the Texans despite being on the road. However, despite a new regime in charge led by Jim Harbaugh, it appears it will take more than one year to cleanse the organization of whatever curse hangs over them, as they had the kind of game only the Chargers can have in what became a 32-12 blowout loss at the hands of the Texans.

The Chargers dominated most of the first half on both sides of the ball, but couldn’t finish off drives and had just a 6-0 lead to show for their work. That quickly became a 10-6 deficit once CJ Stroud finally got rolling, and things got even worse in the second half. Justin Herbert and the Chargers offense could not figure out how to move the ball consistently against the Houston defense, but the sequence that was the most emblematic of the Chargers existence over the last decade-plus was on their best play of the game and lone touchdown.

Herbert hit rookie sensation Ladd McConkey on 3rd and 26 for what became an incredible 86-yard touchdown that should’ve cut the deficit to 9.

Instead, Cameron Dicker’s extra point got blocked straight up in the air and he inexplicably just kind of swatted it down at Texans defenders, allowing Houston to scoop it up and return it for two points of their own.

Only the Chargers could score what amounted to a 4-point touchdown. Things only got worse from there as the Texans tacked on one more TD for good measure (which was Important To Some, as Al Michaels would say). The Chargers have now made the postseason twice in Justin Herbert’s young career and have two of the most embarrassing Wild Card losses in recent memory to show for it (their second half collapse to the Jaguars remains one of the worst playoff showings I’ve ever seen). Jim Harbaugh might eventually be the coach that can get the stink out of the Chargers, but that is going to require a deep clean because that smell is extremely set in.