What happened: Justin Herbert threw for 159 yards in a 16-3 wild-card loss in his latest postseason start. He completed 19 of 31 passes and led his team with 57 rushing yards.

Why it matters: Regular-season arm talent establishes a high floor, but January production separates elite quarterbacks from merely gifted ones. Protection problems provide context, yet another postseason exit without an offensive touchdown would deepen the criticism.