The Chargers saw their season come to an end with a 32-12 loss to Houston on Saturday.

Here are five takeaways from the Wild Card Round.

1. A disappointing end

The Chargers are headed in the right direction under Jim Harbaugh.

But playoff success will have to wait for another year.

The Bolts, who entered the postseason on a three-game win streak, couldn't put a complete performance together when it mattered most.

And the disappointment was palpable in the postgame locker room.

"They were the better team today, all respect to them," Harbaugh said. "Not being the better team today, I'm accountable for that. That's on me.

He later added: "All facets… I'm accountable. Went bad, that's on me."

Khalil Mack said: "It's very high. Knowing what we're capable of, didn't come out and perform at the level we supposed to today."

J.K. Dobbins added: "Very, very disappointed. Very disappointed."

The Chargers season is now over after the Bolts went 11-6 and earned a Wild Card Spot in Harbaugh's first season at the helm.

But players made it known in the locker room that they didn't expect the season to end like this.

All season long, the Chargers thrived on playing complementary football focused on turnovers, disciplined play and possessing the ball.

None of it clicked Saturday.

The offense was out of rhythm for most of the game, going just 3-of-11 on third downs. The Bolts held the ball for more than 10 minutes in the opening quarter but possessed it for just 15 minutes the rest of the way.

Defensively, the Bolts did their part with three takeaways and three sacks. But it wasn't enough as the unit wore down over the final few quarters.

Even special teams contributed to the loss as the Bolts had an extra point blocked and returned for a 2-point play while a punt was nearly blocked.

A bright spot for the Bolts?

Rookie Ladd McConkey had nine receptions for 197 yards, with the latter total setting a rookie postseason record.

McConkey is just the third rookie to surpass 150 receiving yards in a playoff game, and his 197 yards are the third-most by a player in their first playoff game.

"He was a beast. Incredible player, tough as they come," Harbaugh said. "Love the way all the guys fought and battled and the effort that they gave was outstanding."

The Chargers will now clean out their lockers and get ready for the offseason knowing the future is bright in Los Angeles.

"Wouldn't trade nobody for nobody. No coach, no player," James said. "We just didn't get it [done], we wasn't a better team today. It's not basketball, we ain't got a series to seven. They got us today and we got to move on from it."

Alohi Gilman added:"Proud of all our guys putting their hearts into it. Sucks man, but proud to be a part of this team."

Harbaugh said: "Favorite ball team I've ever been on. One thing I can promise you is the sun will come up tomorrow and we'll be attacking it with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind."

2. Defense laments big plays

The football was there for the taking.

Late in the second quarter, the Texans had third-and-16 from their own 17-yard line.

The snap whizzed past quarterback C.J. Stroud, and for a moment, it looked as if the Bolts — at worst— were going to force a punt. The best-case scenario, with the ball resting at the 5-yard line, was a takeaway with a chance to go up double digits.

Instead, Stroud gathered the ball and fired a strike downfield for a 34-yard gain. Houston scored five plays later for a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

"I just feel like the third down when they bobbled the snap, it kind of turned the game," James said. "We had them backed up. We have to make that play right there and get off the field. We didn't make enough plays today."

Harbaugh added: "It grabbed quite a bit of momentum. It's my job, our job, to get the momentum back."

Gilman also noted the play was pivotal in the game.

"That's one of those plays you'd hope it would bounce your way," Gilman said. "Stroud was able to find a guy downfield. I could have done a little better hovering before diving down on one of those routes.

"I thought he was going to get it out fast. It was one of those snaps too, that bobbled right into the right spot where he could get out," Gilman added. "Went his way. He's a good player."

On a day where the Bolts defense played well in spurts — Houston converted on just 5-of-14 third downs — it was a collection of big plays allowed that doomed the Chargers.

Stroud also had completions of 41 and 37 yards and also scrambled for 27 yards, with two of those plays coming on third down.

Harbaugh said:"He did a great job using his legs, scrambling, converting first downs, making big plays."

3. Offense goes cold in Houston

No NFL offense had been hotter to close out the season than the Bolts, as the unit scored a league-best 108 points over the final three games of the season.

On Saturday in Houston, the Chargers offense went cold at the worst possible time.

Herbert, who threw just three interceptions in 504 pass attempts in the regular season, was picked off four times by the Texans defense, one of which was a pick-6 in the third quarter. It marked the first three and four-interception game of Herbert's career.

The quarterback completed 14 of 32 passes for 242 yards. He threw an 86-yard touchdown pass to McConkey early in the fourth quarter but finished with a quarterback rating of 40.9.

"I let the team down," Herbert said. "You can't turn over the ball like that and expect to win.

"Put the team into a tough position with four turnovers like that. The defense hung tough, they got some turnovers, they gave us opportunities. I just have to be better," Herbert added.

Perhaps the most costly interception was Herbert's first one, even if this third was was a pick-6.

A few minutes into the second quarter, Deane Leonard picked off Stroud and set the Bolts up at the Houston 40-yard line.

It felt as if the Bolts were about to take a double-digit lead.

But Herbert threw deep for Quentin Johnston and was intercepted as the Bolts came up scoreless.

"Got to be better about that," Herbert said. "Throw the ball away, throw it further, got to do a better job not putting it in harms way."

He later added: "No one feels worse than I do."

Herbert was also sacked four times as pass protection struggled against Houston's relentless rush.

"They had a good front," Joe Alt said. "They're talented in the middle, on the edges. We got their best shot and it will be good film to learn from, for me especially. Just keep moving forward."

Zion Johnson added: "We can't let Justin get hit that many times. We got to get to work and be better."

Even after the disappointing day, the Chargers locker room rallied around Herbert and said he was one of the key reasons why the Bolts made the playoffs in the first place.

"Our faith is in No. 10, I've said that all year," Bradley Bozeman said. "Our heart beats through No. 10, he's the leader of this team.

"He's a damn good football player, he's one of the best quarterbacks in the league," Bozeman added. "I was proud for him being the quarterback this year, I wouldn't want anybody else."

Alt added: "That's the quarterback I want to play for. He's the most confident and the guy you want in the huddle leading that offense every single play."

4. James' crucial INT overturned

What could have been...

With the Bolts down 10-6, James appeared to make a stellar play when he picked off Stroud with a leaping grab in the end zone.

The All-Pro returned the ball to the Chargers 41 and the Bolts were positioned to start at the Texans 44 after a Houston personal foul.

But officials then ruled that not only was James touched in the end zone, but replay review showed it was an incomplete pass.

So instead of the Bolts being just 44 yards from taking the lead, the defense trudged back onto the field. And while the Texans only kicked a field goal, the chance to gain momentum had clearly slipped through the Chargers fingers.

"I always tell y'all, I'm not refereeing the game," James said. "I'm just trying to play hard, make plays for my team. That wasn't the reason, I got to just keep going."

Harbaugh added: "I didn't have a look at it, so I don't know. I'm sure they got it right."

James' overturned takeaway meant the Bolts missed out on having four against Houston.

Gilman forced a fumble on Houston's first offensive play that was recovered by James, while Tony Jefferson forced and recovered a fumble early in the second half. Leonard also had an interception off Stroud.

5. Plenty of missed chances

The Chargers talked all year about capitalizing on opponents' mistakes. That was the winning formula.

But that didn't happen from the start as the Bolts failed to gain an early sizable advantage in Houston.

The Chargers were stuffed in the red zone on third down on their opening drive, leading to just three points instead of six.

Gilman's forced fumble but the ball at the Houston 33 but that drive, too, ended with a field goal. If the game was 14-0, maybe it goes the Chargers way?

"We just didn't play all the way clean," James said.

The Chargers got off to a solid start with an early 6-0 lead and 10-plus minutes of possession, but they also let Houston hang around long enough to get going.

And once the Texans grabbed the momentum, things started to snowball for the Bolts.

The Bolts, who committed just eight offensive turnovers all year, had four in Houston. A team that was plus-12 in turnover margin this season lost that battle Saturday.

All in all, it just wasn't good enough from the Bolts as a team to secure a playoff win.

An emotional Bozeman summed up the vibe in the locker room after the game.

"That one I really wanted. Really wanted that one. That one especially," Bozeman said. "It sucks, but man I'm proud as hell of these guys. These guys really busted their [butt] all year, fought through [stuff], played their [butts] off, continued to come together, continued to grow no matter [what]. Proud of this group."