The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - CBS LA Chris Hayre Joins Ahead Of Texans vs Charges Match Up

Episode Date: December 23, 2025

CBS LA Chris Hayre Joins Ahead Of Texans vs Charges Match Up

The Matt Thomas show with Ross continues here. Ross back in Houston. I'm here in Los Angeles. Rockets against the Clippers tonight. We'll have it for you beginning at 830 with Rockets Launchpad Network pregame at 9. And I'll have the call here at 930 from Intuit Dome. Right now, let's talk about one of the other L.A. sports teams, the Chargers. And joining us right now from CBS Los Angeles.

He also does a weekly podcast about the Los Angeles Chargers. We say hello to Chris Hayre here on the Matt Thomas show at Ross. Chris, it's Matt. And Ross, good morning to you. First and foremost, and we will go to the games itself. Tell me what it's like, and I had a counterpart on it from the Rams earlier this year when the Texans played them. How does the Chargers gain attention to the L.A. sports landscape? And does this run help them, or is it still, when you go to games at SoFi with the Chargers,

there's a large amount of other teams fans in the building? Well, you know what, Matt, great to be with you, man. think that the hardball effect is certainly real. I've been with this organization since they moved up to Los Angeles in 2017, and I can tell you, it's grown exponentially. I'll also tell you that in Los Angeles, it is a Lakers and a Dodgers town, and there is a slice of the pie for everybody else, and if you win, the slice gets bigger. And I've seen Jim Harbaugh in just two short seasons go back to back 11 wins with this quarterback and you're starting to kind of feel the buzz a little bit. And it's pretty cool to see both the Rams and the Chargers really being looked

at as contenders in both the AFC and NFC right now. Yeah, it's certainly a good time for football here in Southern California. Chris, the Houston audience had a chance to see the Chargers Cowboys game before the Texans last week. And it felt like to me, and I'm so glad. you're able to join us today. Justin's got a plethora of targets to go into that offense. I mean, I don't know if it was a perfect game because I was here on traveling. I didn't see the whole thing. But it felt like to me that Herbert could throw it to about five different people on the field

to any one point during the game. You know, we're doing our podcast today, and that's one of the first things we're going to talk about is just the emergence of some of these guys that you didn't know. We're going to have as big of an impact as they've had. Trey Harris, the second round rookie comes to mind. It used to be third in Keenan, right? It was like, all right, Kenan's getting the ball on third down. Now it's third in Keenan, third in Ladd.

Trey Harris has raised his hand, the rookie of Ronda Gadsden, Quentin Johnston, who was actually hurt the week before against the Chiefs, four catches for 104 yards, and just an unbelievable one-handed touchdown catch. So you're right. They have a lot of weapons and just the emergence of Marian Hampton, too, the rookie running back who has missed a large chunk of the season with an ankle injury. He returned a couple of weeks ago, and he was just like a runaway freight train, like 81 yards, the touchdown to put him up 3417. So I go back to last year and how Justin didn't really have any weapons in that Houston wildcard game. It seemed like, you know, they shut down Quentin Johnston.

Ladd was the only weapon who could produce anything through the air, 197 yards, I think 90 of it came on that one play at the end of the game. So, yeah, it's night and day from last year in terms of the weapons and just kind of how everybody is kind of working in harmony here. Chris, Harry, joining us from CBS, Los Angeles here in the Matt Thomas show with Ross. Okay, so I'm assuming that Mr. Herbert's hand is okay. I know he was kind of grumpy about it a few weeks ago, but there was anything that you saw, the Cowboys that alarmed you at all?

Well, no, this was the first game this season where he was not sacked. Zero sacks allowed by this offensive line who's been a big topic of conversation. Make no mistake, it's a broken hand, right? It's a broken non-throwing hand, but he has found a way to play with it, and, you know, it seemingly is getting better each week. But to throw for 300 yards, which is the most. passing words that he's thrown for since middle of October against the Colts.

You're starting to see that dimension of the offense. Since the by week, since getting blown out by the Jags, Matt, this team has really relied on their defense to win them football games. And Sunday was the first time where, you know,

the defense kind of got hit in the mouth early in the game against Dak, who's fantastic. But to kind of get hit in the mouth by that Dak Prescott-led offense, Justin Herbert had to go toe for toe with them, and then the defense settles down, doesn't allow any points in the second half, yet Justin continues to go. So he's unbelievable. He's one of the toughest quarterbacks you'll ever come across.

He makes a hero-type play almost every game, and the defense carried the day. But Sunday was the first time where I was like, wow, if this passing attack can get in rhythm in the playoffs and the churches may have something. All right. So with all that being said, and look, I've been a Herbert guy from a distance, but last year's wildcard game, he was atrocious. He has not had a whole lot of postseason success. Tell me, in your mind, how bad does he need a couple of postseason wins to build on his resume? I mean, first, every quarterback needs one. That goes without saying. But how much pressure will there be when the Chargers get to the playoffs for him to have all the success in the last handful of weeks the Chargers had if they, if they, if they, if they, come up short and in particular of Herbert struggles.

Yeah, well, we'll have these conversations on radio. We'll continue to have it. You know, I think that that's been, the biggest thing is Justin has done everything during the regular season. He set records. He's been unbelievable. But until you do it in the postseason, there's going to be a lot of talk about it. There's going to be a lot of talk about, hey, can he win a playoff game?

Can he get you deep into the postseason? I have no doubt that he can, right? It's just every season is different. Every opponent you come across is different. That Texas game, it was just, he threw three interceptions all season to throw four in that game. And I get it, he was pressing because the Texans got momentum in that second half and never let up. But yeah, that's going to be the topic of conversation until he does it. But what's fascinating about the playoffs this year, Matt, and it goes for the Texans, too.

Anybody can be any seed. That's right. The Texas could somehow went out and the Jags drop a game and they're winning the South again. The Chargers went out and they win the West, right? They control their destiny now because they beat the Broncos early in the year. They could be as high as the one seat or the two seed, as low as the seventh seed. This is a wide open AFC with no Patrick Mahomes, probably no Lamar Jackson, no Joe Burrow, and anybody can win this thing.

It's just about matchups and who's going to be the grittier team who doesn't make any mistakes in January. It's so crazy, Chris, seven different NFL towns all in the AFC think they've got a shot to be playing on Super Sunday, and it kind of makes it wonderful. It's the best. Yeah, I just couldn't believe when, was it, DeRich Eisen said that we're all going to miss the Chiefs in the playoffs. I'm like, you know what? Kansas City might miss it, but nobody else is going to, it gives two craps about whether or not the chiefs are in the playoffs. And I thought it was one of the dumbest things I've heard in a long time, but that's not there nor they're.

Chris Harry from CBS Los Angeles joining us. All right. So not that I let Vegas determine everything, but the over under on this, Chris, is 39 and a half. That would tend to mean, even though the charges are a small favor in this game, that they're expecting this to be a 21-18 type of football game. How do you envision? Again, Texans defense will be the best. The Chargers probably have seen in quite some time.

But the Chargers, and again, the Cowboys defense was atrocious. You saw that last week. But tell me, can a Chargers win a low-scoring close game? Can their defense do enough to keep this thing close? The Texans offense has been better as well. I didn't play really well last week. But what is it going to be like for Justin to face maybe his best defense he's seen in probably two months.

You're right. I mean, so the Broncos are a Super Bowl caliber defense. The Houston Texans are a Super Bowl caliber defense. But, you know, go back to just the two weeks before the game against the Cowboys. You know, I know Jalen Carter didn't play in that game, but Philly secondary is unbelievable. They won a low-scoring overtime game, 22 to or 20. I think it was 21, 18, something like that, 22, 19. The next week, 16, 13 over the Chiefs in 15-degree weather.

So this defense, this defense is ready for it. And I think that the Chargers defense is just a small rung below those other defenses that I mentioned. They've been awesome since getting hit in the mouth against Jackson's lap to the buy. They have seemingly a pro bowler and all pro on every level of their defense. Derwin James named to his fifth Pro Bowl today. Tully-Tooey-Polotu has been unbelievable. 13 sacks for him, same as DeNeil Hunter. And to have a guy like Deion Henley, who's coming on as of late,

a very sticky secondary with veterans like Tony Jefferson, I do think that the Chargers defense is going to be the unit that carries the day for them if they're going to make a run in the postseason. I don't put too much stock in how close that game was against the Raiders for the Texans. Something tells me that they were probably looking a couple of weeks ahead, and every team in the NFL is going to have these close games against another NFL team. So C.J. Stroud has looked really good this year in spots, and I do. I see a 24-21 game, maybe a 2017 game.

Watch us get there Saturday, Matt, and it's a 42-35 game. Who knows? But I do think both of these defenses are going to show up on Saturday. All right. Most important question for you, Chris. How does it Los Angeles are going to prepare for seven inches of rain here in California the next three days? You know what?

I'm anchoring tonight. And I just, I have a sneaky suspicion. Some of our sports hits may get killed if it's Stormwatch 20-25. Because when rain hits, Los Angeles, people get upset about it and it gets a lot of coverage. I feel bad for you that you're here this week and we're getting rain when we've had beautiful weather the last couple of weeks, but that's just I guess the way it goes. Who knows, though, Matt, you may be back here in a couple of weeks for a playoff game.

We don't know what's going to happen over here over the next few weeks in the NFL. That's true. Just lead your 11 o'clock newscast with Rockets Beat Lakers, or Clippers, I should say, and I'll feel a lot better. I need a victory in the worst way. Chris, thank you so much for the time. John Ireland, the Lakers' voice, recommended you, and you have not disappointed front.

I really appreciate you coming on my show today. Maybe the best. John's the best, too. I hope you have a great week in L.A., man. Thanks, Chris very much. Chris Hayrie.