Jim Harbaugh stood on the sideline watching as his Los Angeles Chargers were dominated by the Houston Texans in a crushing 32-12 defeat in the Wild Card round of the 2025 NFL playoffs, in a loss that led the head coach to make a tough admission—something few in his position would dare to do.
In his postgame conference, Harbaugh acknowledged that the Texans were the superior team, playing better than the Chargers, who struggled to overcome the tough defense. “They were the better team today, all respect to them,” Harbaugh said, noting the Texans’ lethal run game, which totaled over 160 yards.
Harbaugh also took responsibility for the defeat and the Chargers‘ poor performance, stating, “Not being the better team, I’m accountable for that.” He further sent a message of respect to the Texans, adding, “Congratulations to DeMeco Ryans and the Texans.”
Although the game ended with a 20-point margin, Jim Harbaugh didn’t hesitate for a second during the postgame conference to back his quarterback, Justin Herbert, who threw four interceptions in the loss to the Texans, saying, “Like he always does. Complete beast.”
Head coach Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert #10 of the Los Angeles Chargers look on after a successful field goal attempt against the Cincinnati Bengals during the second quarter at SoFi Stadium on November 17, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Harbaugh’s first postseason with the Chargers
It’s worth noting that Jim Harbaugh, who just took over as the Chargers’ head coach, managed to lead them to the postseason in his first year. The franchise had not made it to the playoffs since 2022, when they also lost in the Wild Card round, this time to the Jaguars, under former head coach Brandon Staley.
Chargers defense falters against Texans
One of the biggest mistakes by the Chargers’ defense was allowing 168 rushing yards to the Texans, with Joe Mixon being the player who broke through the defensive line the most and also scoring a touchdown. Another weak point was the receiving yards, as LA gave up 282 yards on 22 receptions.
