Justin Herbert leads Chargers win despite suffering 'flesh wound' on left hand

A one-handed Justin Herbert won an AFC West butt-kicking contest on Sunday.

With his left, non-throwing hand bandaged, Herbert led the Los Angeles Chargers to a 24-17 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, highlighted by a 51-yard completion to Josh Palmer that clinched the victory.

Herbert shrugged off the injury after the game, calling it a “flesh wound” that he never considered leaving the game for, though he was uncertain about his status going forward.

“Just a bit of a scratch. Just a flesh wound,” Herbert said in a bit of an ode to Monty Python. “Just got stuck in a helmet, but thankful for all the doctors and trainers out there to help me get through that.

“There was never really a question, it was just getting it fixed up, get it taped up and head back out there.”

Herbert deftly avoided most of the serious injury quandaries, including saying, “I’m not sure,” when asked if he underwent X-rays on his finger.

Herbert, who was 13 of 24 for 167 yards, a touchdown, an interception and two rushing scores, added injury to insult when he tried to make a tackle after throwing an interception at the end of the third quarter. He was looked at in the medical tent but did not miss a play, returning with a massive bandage/tape-job contraption before later going with a glove.

As for what lies ahead injury-wise, he’s uncertain.

“We’ll probably wait for more details, I don’t have all that information right now, but it was good enough to go back out there,” Herbert said when asked if it was a joint injury.

He added it’s something he would need to “monitor over the next couple days” and said he was “not sure” if he would be forced to miss any time. Herbert memorably played through a rib injury last season.

The Chargers’ all-star signal-caller was definitely affected though, as it hindered his ability to take snaps under center.

However, his very good right hand was still able to come up clutch with a beauty of a throw to Palmer for a 51-yard gain on third-and-10 with 1:51 to go that enabled the Bolts to kneel away the game — which he did from shotgun.

“He’s a clutch player, he’s always played his best in the clutch, and no matter what type of game it is, at the end of the game he’s always going to be there, and that throw was a great example of it,” Chargers head coach Brandon Staley said. “And just kind of hung tough the whole game, but then when you throw it down like that to finish it, it’s just one of those signature plays that help you win a game like this.”

Herbert was smiling after the game, having pushed the Bolts to 2-2, and said the pain in his hand was “pretty low.” However, the days to come will offer an answer of what comes next for the Chargers’ one-handed man.