Chargers stave off Bengals' comeback in epic Sunday night thriller

What looked to beryllium a Los Angeles Chargers beatdown connected the Cincinnati Bengals astatine SoFi Stadium connected "Sunday Night Football" turned into a thriller successful the 2nd half.

But the Chargers were capable to instrumentality down the Bengals, 34-27, down J.K. Dobbins’ 29-yard touchdown, his 2nd of the game. 

The crippled was deadlocked astatine 27 apiece erstwhile Justin Herbert got the shot with conscionable 45 seconds near to play, and helium recovered Ladd McConkey connected 2 astonishing passes for a full 55 yards to get into Bengals territory. 

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Los Angeles Chargers backmost Justin Herbert (10) throws against the Cincinnati Bengals during the archetypal fractional astatine SoFi Stadium. (Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images)

It seemed similar the Chargers would conscionable tally it retired for a game-winning tract goal, but Dobbins recovered abstraction and exploited it for the score. 

With conscionable seconds near to play, Joe Burrow, who battled backmost successful the 2nd fractional to marque this a game, heaved a Hail Mary to Tee Higgins, but Derwin James swatted it distant for the win.

It was the Bengals who got connected the committee archetypal successful this crippled with a tract goal, but it was genuinely each Chargers successful the archetypal fractional arsenic Herbert got rolling quick. 

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On the team’s 2nd thrust of the game, helium needed conscionable 5 plays to spell 70 yards arsenic helium threw an implicit dime to choky extremity Will Dissly down the seam for a 29-yard touchdown to marque it a 7-3 crippled aft the other point. 

After different reddish portion travel for Cincinnati ended with a tract goal, Herbert wowed the Chargers faithful with an off-balance dot to Quentin Johnston successful the extremity portion for a 26-yard score. That came aft uncovering Johnston for 22 yards and Dissly for 20 earlier successful the drive. 

With the Bengals going three-and-out, caput manager Jim Harbaugh decided to look for the aboriginal termination changeable successful this game, arsenic helium went for it connected fourth-and-goal from the Bengals’ one-yard enactment and J.K. Dobbins recovered the extremity portion to spell up 21-6. 

A Cameron Dicker spot changeable tract extremity gave Los Angeles a 24-6 pb astatine halftime, and the Bengals looked wholly dejected. But we saw their combat successful the 2nd half, arsenic they knew this was a must-win crippled to support their playoff hopes successful a bully spot. 

Cincinnati Bengals backmost Joe Burrow (9) drops backmost to propulsion a walk successful the archetypal 4th of the NFL Week 11 crippled betwixt the Los Angeles Chargers and the Cincinnati Bengals astatine SoFi Stadium successful Inglewood, Calif., connected Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. The Chargers led 24-6 astatine halftime. (IMAGN)

Bengals caput manager Zac Taylor said astatine halftime his squad needed to find the extremity portion erstwhile they got down successful Chargers territory, and that’s precisely what they got connected fourth-and-goal erstwhile Ja’Marr Chase yet got antheral sum and Burrow slung a cleanable slant shot to him for the score. 

It brought the Bengals wrong 2 touchdowns with much than capable clip to get backmost into the game, arsenic agelong arsenic the defence could get stops. And that’s precisely what happened, starting with a three-and-out that Burrow utilized to his advantage. 

On different fourth-down play, Burrow got the look helium wanted erstwhile Tee Higgins, returning to the fold aft missing immoderate clip with injury, ran done his defenders and sprung unfastened for a 42-yard touchdown. 

Just similar that, the Bengals were backmost successful this game. Herbert and the Chargers needed to respond, arsenic momentum was intelligibly shifting successful this one. But connected a unreserved play aft scrambling retired of the pocket, Herbert fumbled and it was scooped up by the Bengals.

It was the archetypal turnover of the crippled for either team, and erstwhile again, Burrow knew conscionable what to bash with it. In astir backyard shot fashion, Burrow directed Chase midway done a play and his prima receiver obliged, turning to his near successful the extremity portion and Burrow enactment it connected him for a 17-yard score, Chase’s 2nd of the game. 

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston (1) celebrates his touchdown scored against the against the Cincinnati Bengals with backmost Justin Herbert (10) during the archetypal fractional astatine SoFi Stadium. (Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images)

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But Burrow couldn’t find the close plays to springiness his squad the borderline successful the win, which has been a head-scratcher each play agelong for this Bengals squad. 

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