Chargers Weigh Playing Justin Herbert in Week 18 Finale at Denver

Overview

• Los Angeles fell out of the AFC West race with the Week 17 loss and sits 11-5 with Wild Card seeding still to be determined, leaving little to gain in the regular-season finale.
• Jim Harbaugh said he had not decided on Herbert’s Week 18 status, while Herbert spoke as if he expects to play.
• Herbert, already playing with a surgically repaired non-throwing hand, was sacked five times and hit eight times by the Texans and briefly left the sideline holding his left arm before returning.
• Denver enters with a high-pressure front that averages four sacks per game, with Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper combining for 20.5 sacks this season.
• Protection has been strained by injuries to starting tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, and execution issues such as a key drop by rookie TE Oronde Gadsden II and a missed 32-yard field goal hurt against Houston.