A tie is like kissing your sister, unless it takes you to the NFL playoffs.
There were no sibling kisses Sunday night, when the Raiders clinched a 35-32 win over the Chargers, ending the Los Angeles season, much to the chagrin of quarterback Justin Herbert.
A tie would have moved both the Raiders and Chargers to the playoffs, and it appears the Chargers passer-by was hoping the game would end up tied.
During the Chargers’ fateful timeout, lip readers caught Herbert turning to someone on the touchline and seeming to express hope for a draw:
“I’ve never wanted a tie so badly,” Herbert seems to say.
Shortly after the game restarted, the Raiders would run for a first down and then clinch victory with a winning kick from Daniel Carlson.
The result eliminated the Chargers from the playoffs and gave the Steelers the final spot in the AFC playoffs.
Los Angeles ended a disappointing 9-8 season, missing the playoffs in the first year of the Staley era. Staley’s decisions were criticized Sunday night, for the inopportune timeout, as well as previous game management situations.
In the end, Herbert’s wish did not come true.
To be fair, “you play to tie the game” just doesn’t sound that good.