Steelers - 20, Chargers - 10
Q. [Question off microphone]
JIM HARBAUGH: I thought they were fighting the whole time. And a lot of good football played. And then the fourth quarter it wasn't our best. We didn't have the field position against us. And we didn't get it finished.
Not everyone's -- not every game is going to be a fairytale ending. And give credit to the Steelers in all three phases there at the end.
Q. [Question off microphone]
JIM HARBAUGH: No, I don't have an update to give you right now. Justin, as soon as I saw, he got up. My plan was the first sign of any kind of, any limp he was coming out of the game. So I took him out.
Joey, I think he reaggravated the hip. And Rashawn, seemed to be a strain there with the peck.
Q. [Question about Justin Herbert]
JIM HARBAUGH: I knew Justin wasn't going to take himself out. I told him that yesterday. I'm going to let you go. But the plan was, Taylor was going to go in and -- but we were doing a good job there in the first half. Justin had a heck of a half. He's a beast. But that wasn't ever going to be his decision to play today or to stay in.
Q. [Question off microphone]
JIM HARBAUGH: The way he looked on Saturday, where he was able to move around. It was much better. He felt like he could protect himself. He was in a position to be able to effectively play the position.
Q. [Question about Justin Herbert's career]
JIM HARBAUGH: Yeah, there's no question about that. I mean, at every time I think there's not another rung on the ladder that he can go, in my esteem. He climbs another one.
But I knew this a couple months ago. Justin is the kind of guy you've got to pull back because you're never going to have to talk him into anything, but he does have to be pulled back.
Q. You said your plan was any sign of limp or anything you were going to take him out.
JIM HARBAUGH: Yeah, any chance.
Q. Considering that, was there any thought in your head to not starting him, giving him a week?
JIM HARBAUGH: It was a possibility, but I've been in that position before. Warriors, you give them a shot, and that's what I wanted to do.
Q. [Question off microphone]
JIM HARBAUGH: Well, the hypotheticals, we'll see about that next week.
Q. [Question off microphone]
JIM HARBAUGH: Yeah, Joe's been incredible. Just -- I've said it before, he's like he's been playing five, six years, like a six-year vet. He's gone right out of the chute against some of the best in the game.
Q. After Rashawn went down, (inaudible) left tackle, what went into that decision (inaudible)?
JIM HARBAUGH: We feel like Trey's our next best guy. He's our third tackle. He had a bit of a finger issue, Trey did, so we put Jamaree out there first. And then when Trey went back, he's our third tackle, swing tackle.
Q. As far as the potential (inaudible) when Rashawn went out (inaudible)?
JIM HARBAUGH: Yeah, I don't know that there's -- I can't think of anything really to say there.
Q. (Inaudible)?
JIM HARBAUGH: We got beat a few times.
Q. [Question about Taylor Heinicke]
JIM HARBAUGH: Yeah, the week of practice. I mean, Taylor and Easton got the same amount of reps in, and then toward the end of the week I gave more to Taylor because I thought he was the one that was going to give us the best chance of winning.
Q. [Question off microphone]
JIM HARBAUGH: Yeah, it's tough. Yeah. Tough.
Q. [Question off microphone]
JIM HARBAUGH: Like I said, just playing really -- playing great. Played great for a long time. Played great on offense for a long time. Played great on defense for a long time. And then the drive with the three penalties, even that drive, they were able to hold to a field goal, 45 yards of penalties.
Q. Do you feel that particular drive (inaudible)?
JIM HARBAUGH: Yeah, I mean they got the momentum at that point and kept it and held onto it. That's the way it went. Any kind of drive, any kind of points, three-and-outs, those give momentum. And we weren't able to get it back and hold on to it.
Q. [Question off microphone]
JIM HARBAUGH: Not really medically qualified to go into all that.
Q. [Question about appreciation for Justin toughing it out, and did you get a sense about it]
JIM HARBAUGH: No question. Like I said, we were fighting the whole time. And I thought our guys really stepped up and played really good football for a long time.
To answer your question, your question, all your questions, you go back now, you regroup, you refit, retool and get ready for next week.
Q. You said during the week (inaudible) find out what you were made of. Did you learn something about your team or is it hard to figure that out (inaudible)?
JIM HARBAUGH: I've already learned it about our team. I mean, we work and they're not afraid of any challenge or any new challenge.
And it's razor sharp. It's a credit card-difference, the margin. And I thought it was right there. It was back and forth. It was right where I thought it would be. And we didn't get it done at the end there. But we'll come fighting back.
Q. [Question about back-up]
JIM HARBAUGH: As we said in the past, we're really not going into depth chart of the backups, other positions. Starting quarterback, like I told you, we'll talk about the starting quarterback, but really no other positions.
Q. [Question off microphone]
JIM HARBAUGH: Overall, I didn't think he had a great -- he made a nice throw in the play-action pass, and similar things that we had saw him do in practice, and I was pleased. And I thought he (indiscernible) himself really well.
I wish we could have gave him a little more time there to operate, but I was pleased with his performance. He's a competitor. Competitors are welcome here at the Los Angeles Chargers.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports