For a Hall of Fame quarterback like Kurt Warner, reading a defense is second nature. But reading a chaotic play from the broadcast booth in real-time? That proved to be a different challenge during the Chargers-Texans game. NFL Network’s Kurt Warner found himself in an unfamiliar position, apologizing over a crucial fourth-quarter play involving Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert.

During the Week 17 matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Houston Texans, there was a moment when NFL legend Kurt Warner made a blunder. On a crucial play, QB Justin Herbert was sacked but clearly retained possession; something Warner initially missed on air. Soon after realizing his error, he was quick to issue a statement.

“On broadcast today, I was looking down field & thought JH [Justin Herbert] had thrown ball away when calling a defensive penalty, so thought it might be DPI (giving them ball on 1)… once I realized JH took a sack, I wasn’t able to get back in an explain without a throw it was Def Holding instead & ball on 5!,” Warner wrote on X.

Warner apologized to the fans who were watching the telecast and claimed he never got a chance to rectify his error as the Chargers scored.

At the 3:51 mark in the fourth quarter, on the 2nd & 10 play at Houston 10, once Herbert got the snap, the Texans’ defense pressured him. Right tackle Trey Pipkins failed to stop the defensive end Will Anderson Jr. on the right. It forced Justin Herbert to run out of the pocket to his right, where he once raised his arm to throw, but tucked it in as safety K’Von Wallace ran towards him and grabbed his left arm.

The quarterback slid before Anderson Jr. hit him during the motion. That’s when Warner described it as defensive pass interference. But the referees called it a defensive holding penalty on linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair for 5 yards.

While Warner’s mistake was the talk of the broadcast, the play itself highlighted a more troubling issue for the Chargers: the constant pressure on Justin Herbert.

Justin Herbert needs more protection

Justin Herbert may have put himself in the third spot among the starting QBs while throwing his 13th interception of 2025, but it’s not going to be of any help until the errors with the offensive protection are resolved.

The Chargers QB has been sacked 3.38 times this season for almost every game, and some games have even seen the number go up to 5 or even seven. This is the most number for any QB in the ongoing season.

In 16 games, Herbert remains the most sacked quarterback in the NFL this season, with 54 sacks for 301 yards. In the Week 14 game against the Philadelphia Eagles, he was sacked seven times, the maximum in a game this season. A number that must sound alarming to head coach Jim Harbaugh, if he wants to win a Super Bowl with the QB.

Top Stories

Kevin Stefanski Criticizes Shedeur Sanders for Struggles After Browns Rookie Saves HC’s Job

Broncos Star Goes On an Expletive Filled Rant on Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs After Playoff News

Aaron Rodgers Has Strong Words for NFL Ref After Losing to Browns Lessens Steelers’ Playoff Chances

NFL Announces Punishment on Josh Allen’s Offense for Week 16 Incident

Baker Mayfield Issues Strong Message on Moving On as Bucs QB Takes Blame for Turnovers in Dolphins Loss

During Saturday’s game, Herbert’s struggles were once again visible. The QB was sacked five times, while he threw only for 236 yards, with one touchdown and an interception. Since the Chargers have been nursing injuries this season, they have reportedly played 21 different offensive line combinations to protect their QB and have still struggled to do so.

But they cannot continue playing with such slipups in the playoffs. Since the Chargers had already clinched a playoff berth, the loss may not impact them much. Although it did break their four-game winning streak and dropped L.A. to the 7-seed.