Chargers lament Justin Herbert falling to 0-3 in the playoffs

Ladd McConkey stopped for a moment in front of his locker.

“I don’t know,” he said, less than 24 hours after another humiliating Chargers playoff loss.

“To be honest with you, it’s like, I don’t know – but you need to get this monkey off of us,” McConkey said.

A tormenting 16-3 loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC wild-card round ended the Chargers’ season Sunday for the second straight season. Little has gone against the Patriots in coach Jim Harbaugh’s second year in Los Angeles, which has raised questions about what needs to change to make the Chargers a Super Bowl contender.

Harbaugh, general manager Joe Hortiz and the rest of the team’s staff will have a full offseason to dig into that went wrong against the Patriots and a season that failed to live up to expectations.

Against New England, there were offensive line issues and Justin Herbert was pressured on 30 of 44 drop-backs, which Pro Football Focus said was the second-highest pressure rate all season (behind the Chargers’ Week 14 effort against the Philadelphia Eagles).

Herbert, still looking for his first playoff win after his third loss Sunday, showed up in an unusual way against the Patriots.

Last season, he threw a career-worst four interceptions in a playoff loss to Houston. Against New England, Herbert struggled to find open receivers and was sacked six times while the Chargers failed to implement a running game, raising questions about offensive coordinator Greg Roman’s future with the team.

Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh leaves the field after a 16-3 loss to the Patriots in the AFC playoffs on Sunday.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Center Bradley Bozeman, often at the center of public criticism of the Chargers’ offensive line, held back tears as he talked about his struggles on the field. But it was the eighth-year veteran who choked up the most when talking about Herbert.

“It’s a shame we can’t get him there,” Bozeman said. “That’s what sucks. He’s one of my best friends – and it sucks, like it just sucks, because I want it bad for him. I want it bad for me, I want it bad for everyone, but him especially.”

Whatever the solution, if the Chargers have one, the makeup of the franchise will change dramatically. Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter is being courted by numerous NFL teams – including the Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans and Las Vegas Raiders – for head coaching positions.

Receiver Keenan Allen, linebackers Odafe Oweh and Khalil Mack and defensive lineman Teair Tart are among 27 players set to hit free agency. The Chargers should also have over $100 million in salary cap space to manage for potential additions.

Tart expressed interest in a possible contract extension with the team, as did Oweh: “I hope I see Joe Hortiz on my phone,” the veteran linebacker said.

Mack, who also considered retiring a season ago, will consider whether he wants to return for a 13th season in the NFL.

The 34-year-old declined to say whether he would be back with the Chargers if he decided to play.

“I just try to stay as present as possible,” Mack said. “Make a decision based on how I feel, how my family feels. … Just take it day by day.”

Outside linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu, who emerged in his third NFL season with 13 sacks, was asked if he felt the need to change anything to turn playoff heartbreak into victories.

Tuipulotu repeated a sentiment that defensive back Tarheeb Still and safety Daiyan Henley repeated earlier Monday:

“I just hope everyone on defense comes back,” Tuipulotu said.