INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The Los Angeles Chargers have lengthy been synonymous with dropping in essentially the most heartbreaking trend.
As Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase danced ultimately zone within the fourth quarter Sunday after serving to Cincinnati rally from an 18-point first-half deficit, this recreation seemed to be one other chapter in a ebook laden with Chargers disappointments.
However Sunday evening was completely different. The protection and quarterback Justin Herbert buoyed the Chargers as they prevented one other late-game meltdown to beat the Bengals 34-27 at SoFi Stadium. The win was essentially the most obvious declaration of how completely different these Chargers are beneath coach Jim Harbaugh.
“This crew got here with extra goal,” linebacker Daiyan Henley mentioned. “Possibly it wasn’t there final yr for no matter purpose, however proper now we’ve got goal, we’ve got perception.”
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Exterior linebacker Joey Bosa is the longest-tenured Charger, drafted by the crew in San Diego in 2016.
In a gathering with the protection on Saturday, he advised his teammates a couple of cynical feeling that might overcome Chargers groups in huge video games that they’d at all times in some way lose. However Bosa mentioned he advised the group this yr felt completely different and that he had a particular feeling about this Chargers crew, a sense he had by no means felt in his profession.
“Having Coach Harbaugh and having the entire employees, I feel, has shifted the tradition right here,” Bosa mentioned.
He continued: “I really feel like we’ve got a shot. … It simply feels a little bit completely different proper now. It appears like if we hold doing what we have to and getting ready the best way we do, not getting snug, and simply persevering with to enhance each week, I feel we’ve got a shot at one thing particular.”
Coming into Sunday’s recreation, the Chargers boasted the league’s best-scoring protection, holding opponents to 13.1 factors per recreation. However they’d confronted the league’s second-easiest schedule, in accordance with ESPN analytics, elevating questions on how good this protection actually was.
Cincinnati, which was sixth within the league in factors per recreation (26.1), can be the primary take a look at for this unit. Henley mentioned Harbaugh talked to the crew Friday concerning the many critics of the protection to inspire his gamers for Sunday.
Ultimately, the Chargers’ protection fluctuated from stout to abysmal. The 27 factors allowed have been a season excessive, and their 21 factors allowed within the second half have been essentially the most they’ve allowed since Week 15 of final season, after they gave up 21 to the Las Vegas Raiders. (Coach Brandon Staley and common supervisor Tom Telesco have been fired after that loss.)
However the protection bought essential stops late, together with successful on Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow by Henley that pressured an incomplete cross.
“Protection was at our greatest when our greatest was wanted,” Harbaugh mentioned.
Herbert took the sphere with 45 seconds remaining on the Chargers’ 16-yard-line and shortly turned L.A.’s potential heartbreak right into a storybook ending.
He related with vast receiver Ladd McConkey for completions of 28 and 27 yards to place the Chargers in place for a discipline purpose to seal the sport. On their subsequent drive, nonetheless, he handed the ball to working again J.Okay. Dobbins, who broke free for a 29-yard landing to successfully finish the sport.
It was Herbert’s fifteenth successful drive since he entered the league in 2020, the second most within the NFL over that span. He completed with 297 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns and 5 carries for 65 dashing yards.
“Begin the MVP talks,” Dobbins mentioned.
