‘Sunday Evening Soccer:’ Chargers stand up to livid Bengals comeback try and win 34-27

The Los Angeles Chargers enhance to 7-3 after a wild victory at SoFi Stadium wherein they led 27-6, allowed 21 unanswered factors, and finally scored the game-winning landing with 18 seconds left on J.Ok. Dobbins’s 29-yard run.

The Bengals at the moment are 4-7 and their playoff aspirations, already dire, are on life help.

After massive completions between Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey moved the ball deep into Bengals territory, Chargers operating again J.Ok. Dobbins ends what might be the game-winning drive with a 29-yard landing run for a 34-27 lead with 18 seconds to play.

It’s the primary time the Chargers have scored since 10:29 remained within the third quarter. Since then, Los Angeles had carried out completely nothing offensively. That modified on a drive that began with 45 seconds left, and 84 yards from the tip zone.

Evan McPherson, usually so reliable, has missed two subject objectives on this fourth quarter with a chance to present the Bengals the lead. His 51-yard try was hooked effectively left with 1:52 remaining in a tie recreation. The Chargers get the ball again close to midfield.

It stays Bengals 27, Chargers 27 with six minutes to play within the fourth quarter after Cincinnati kicker Evan McPherson pushes his 48-yard attempt simply to the left of the uprights and lacking his first kick of the evening. The Chargers have a reprieve. What’s going to they do with it?

Simply as Cincinnati is rolling, Joe Burrow throws an interception to Chargers defensive again Alohi Gilman — however in a major ruling, the turnover is negated by a roughing the passer penalty after Burrow was flattened.

The penalty led to a primary down, and Burrow then stored the drive going but once more three performs afterward a scramble on third-and-long. The clock retains ticking down, with 8 minutes left within the recreation.

Utilizing his thumb to direct his favourite receiver, Ja’Marr Chase, the place to get open, Joe Burrow throws to Chase for a 17-yard landing that ties this recreation at 27.

What a turnaround, with 12:21 to go within the fourth quarter.

Burrow is now as much as 23-for-35 passing passing for 276 yards and three touchdowns, with Chase answerable for 75 yards and two touchdowns, and Tee Higgins 108 yards and the opposite rating.

Justin Herbert turns the ball over for the primary time for the reason that second week of the season two months in the past and his fumble got here at a nasty time for his workforce. The Chargers are holding onto a 27-20 lead by their fingernails. The distinction between the primary and second halves couldn’t be extra stark.

With Ja’Marr Chase double-teamed by defensive backs on fourth-and-2, the Bengals take an opportunity and throw deep to the opposite aspect of the sector — the place Tee Higgins was broad open, with two Chargers scrambling to catch up.

Too late.

It’s a 42-yard landing connection and now that is anybody’s recreation once more, with the Chargers’ lead trimmed to 27-20 with 2:53 left within the third quarter. Buckle up.

Justin Herbert had been principally unbothered within the pocket tonight, with greater than 3 seconds to cross per try, based on the NBC broadcast, however that modified on the latest drive that resulted in a Chargers punt. Big cease for a Bengals workforce simply attempting to piece collectively as many constructive performs as doable.

Did the Bengals learn our final put up about it being now-or-never to start out their rally? You’ll be able to really feel the change in urgency from Cincinnati because the third quarter reaches the halfway level. On their most up-to-date drive, the Bengals took a deep shot on second down (incomplete), Burrow lofted a superbly positioned ball at the back of the tip zone (Tee Higgins couldn’t maintain on) and the bottom recreation labored because it hasn’t all evening.

However after the Chargers protection snuffed out a number of performs near the objective line, it led to a fourth down and objective from the 5. You already know who Joe Burrow trusted with the ball. He connects with Ja’Marr Chase for a landing cross on a slant route, and the Chargers now lead 27-13.

Cameron Dicker hooks a 53-yard subject objective inside the fitting uprights with room to spare and the Chargers lead now 27-6 with 10:29 left within the third quarter. If a Cincinnati comeback is within the works, it has to start out quickly.

The Bengals received the opening they needed to start out the second half: On the primary drive of the third quarter, the Chargers went three-and-out. However Cincinnati might do nothing with its personal drive, in reality going backward after three incompletions, together with a drop by the normally excellent Ja’Marr Chase.

Take into consideration tonight as a litmus take a look at: The NFL’s greatest scoring protection attempting to cease one of many hottest offenses. To this point, the Chargers have confirmed their league-leading common of solely 13 factors per recreation allowed has been no fluke.

A brief subject objective as time expired pushes Cincinnati’s deficit to 18 factors. Because the rating signifies, this has been a one-sided first half, with the Chargers averaging 8.8 yards per play, nearly precisely double the Bengals’ common.

The duel between prime younger quarterbacks additionally has gone the Chargers’ manner, with Justin Herbert finishing 10 of his 14 passes for 178 yards, to the 97 thrown by Joe Burrow.

The Chargers have gained the dashing battle, 94-29, and have two penalties to Cincinnati’s 5. Discover a development? This has been all Chargers to this point.

Cincinnati kicker Evan McPherson is now 2-2 after making a 27-yard subject objective. The drive lasted 11 performs and went 57 yards. Bear in mind what we wrote pregame concerning the Bengals rating among the many NFL’s greatest at changing on third down? Effectively, tonight they’ve began simply 1-of-5 in that division. Credit score to the Chargers protection and first-year coordinator Jesse Minter.

Los Angeles has now scored touchdowns on three consecutive drives to take a 21-6 lead with 4:35 to go within the second quarter. This time, it was a JK Dobbins 1-yard landing run that ended a nine-play, 66-yard drive. The Chargers are averaging 10.1 yards per play. That’s not a misprint — 213 yards on 21 performs. Speak about a great begin.

The Chargers leap out to a 14-6 lead with 11:02 left within the second quarter after Herbert fakes a handoff, rolls out of the pocket to his proper and hits receiver Quentin Johnson on the run for a 26-yard landing. Herbert has thrown some absolute lasers tonight whereas finishing his first six passes.

The Chargers thought they’d pressured Bengals receiver Tee Higgins to fumble his catch on 4th-and-1 and returned it 74 yards for a landing by Alohi Gilman. However the play was instantly reviewed, and a landing was by no means added after a replay discovered Higgins was down by contact earlier than fumbling. It wasn’t all excellent news for the Bengals, nonetheless; Higgins damage himself on the play.

Justin Herbert prolonged the Chargers’ second drive of the evening along with his legs, choosing up 20 yards on a scramble, after which ended it with one other spotlight. The QB caps a five-play, 70-yard landing drive with a play-action cross up the seam to tight finish Will Dissly from 29 yards out.

After driving to inside three yards of the tip zone, the Bengals had been flagged for 5- and 10-yard penalties on consecutive performs to push them into an eventual third-and-goal from the 18-yard line. Unable to transform, they introduced in Evan McPherson, who kicked a 26-yard subject objective to present the Bengals no less than three factors. However they had been oh-so-close to a landing.

With 6:27 left within the first quarter, the Chargers get the ball again.

After the Bengals punted after 5 performs and solely 17 yards on their opening drive, the Chargers additionally couldn’t muster a lot. Three performs and eight yards later, the Chargers punt.

Cincinnati takes over for the opening drive of the sport after receiving the kickoff. Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase are all the engine of the Bengals offense and have stored the workforce someway afloat within the playoff race.

It’s not breaking information to level out that changing, or getting stops, on third down is important. However tonight it’s much more necessary as a result of it’s strength-on-strength. The Bengals convert 47.3% of the time, the third-best fee within the league, whereas the Chargers enable opponents to transform solely 32.8% of the time, the NFL’s fifth-best mark.

One issue? Los Angeles not often beats itself, with solely 49 penalties on third down, third-fewest.

The Bengals began this season 0-2 (their fifth 0-2 begin in six seasons below Zac Taylor) earlier than dropping vs. Washington to fall to 0-3. Cincinnati gained 4 of its subsequent six video games earlier than dropping final week’s recreation at Baltimore, leaving the Bengals with a 4-6 document. Within the Tremendous Bowl period, solely six groups have made the playoffs after beginning a season 0-3 (since 2000, solely the 2018 Texans have completed that feat).

Within the 2022 season, Cincinnati began 0-2 and was 4-4 earlier than successful its last eight common season video games to complete 12-4 and win the division title. They went on to achieve the AFC Championship Recreation, the place they misplaced at Kansas Metropolis.

After quarterback Justin Herbert confirmed his dual-threat capability whereas operating for a landing on his season-high 9 rushes final week, Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh took to calling the QB a “beast” — so usually, in reality, the workforce launched a video displaying each time the coach marveled at Herbert. At one level, he even introduced it up in a dialog with an official.

Herbert has been an distinctive athlete all of his life — I as soon as spoke to an MLB scout who tried repeatedly, to no avail, to get Herbert to think about professional baseball. However it’s one factor to seek out operating room towards a workforce that wasn’t recreation planning to cease it. Will his operating be a wrinkle once more tonight? If Cincinnati devotes a “spy” to include his operating, it might solely open the sector for his passing.

Cincinnati’s 35-34 loss at Baltimore in Week 10 dropped the Bengals to 0-5 in video games determined by six factors or fewer. The one different workforce with greater than 5 losses in video games determined by six factors or fewer is Jacksonville, who’s 2-8 total and 1-6 in such video games.

Together with a six-point loss vs New England in Week 1 and a five-point defeat vs. Washington in Week 3, the Bengals’ shut losses embody three video games towards AFC contenders that simply might have gone the opposite manner.

After practically three full seasons below Brandon Staley (who was fired in December final yr with LAC sitting at 5-9), the Chargers employed Jim Harbaugh as head coach in January.

Harbaugh has gained all over the place he’s coached, together with in his most up-to-date cease on the College of Michigan, his alma mater, which he led to its first nationwide title in 26 years final season.

Of their first season below Harbaugh, the 6-3 Chargers have already surpassed their win complete from final season, after they completed 5-12, dropping their last 5 video games of the season.

Herbert’s numbers this season are much less gaudy than Burrow’s, however he’s thrown only one interception (fewest of any QB with 200+ makes an attempt) and ranks within the NFL’s prime 10 amongst certified QBs in passer score (103.2 — sixth) and yards per try (7.8 — ninth).

Herbert’s solely turnovers (1 INT, 1 fum misplaced) this season got here in Week 2 at Carolina. He’s gone a franchise-record seven straight video games with out an interception — the longest energetic streak within the NFL and his 210 straight passes with no choose is the second-longest streak in franchise historical past (he has the longest streak — 233 passes in 2022-23).

This season, Burrow is as soon as once more among the many NFL’s greatest QBs. Burrow leads the league in passing yards (2,672) and is tied for the league lead in landing passes (24), along with his passer score (108.1) ranked second amongst certified passers behind Lamar Jackson. Burrow has two video games this season with 5 landing passes, whereas the remainder of the NFL has mixed for one (Jackson).

He threw 4+ landing passes in every of the final two video games (5 in Week 9 vs. the Raiders and 4 in Week 10 on the Ravens) and may turn out to be the primary QB to have three straight 4 landing cross video games in the identical season since Russell Wilson for SEA in 2020.

Burrow and Herbert have been two of one of the best quarterbacks within the NFL since they had been two of the primary three QBs chosen within the 2020 NFL Draft (Burrow was picked first total, whereas Herbert went sixth, one spot after Miami took Tua Tagovailoa). Since coming into the league, they each rank within the NFL’s prime 5 in passing yards per recreation, within the prime six in landing passes and TD/INT fee and within the prime eight in passing yards.

Whereas Herbert is forward of Burrow when it comes to passing yards, passing touchdowns and common season wins, Burrow has loved considerably extra postseason success than his L.A. counterpart, reaching the playoffs twice — making the AFC Championship each occasions and reaching Tremendous Bowl LVI within the 2021 season.