3 years ago
321
INGLEWOOD — Chargers backmost Justin Herbert had the Pittsburgh Steelers frustrated with timely runs and was punched successful the tummy by antiaircraft tackle Cam Heyward aft a 36-yard tally successful the 4th quarter.
Heyward wasn’t ejected for the treble punch and it didn’t instrumentality agelong earlier helium was the 1 frustrating Herbert.
The Chargers’ unfathomable meltdown peaked erstwhile Heyward tipped a Herbert walk that landed successful the hands of cornerback Cameron Sutton for an interception. The Chargers took a fewer much figurative gut punches aft that.
But the Chargers landed the last stroke and avoided an epic illness aft Herbert recovered a wide unfastened Mike Williams downfield for a 53-yard touchdown pass. The Chargers prevailed 41-37 implicit the Steelers successful a thrilling “Sunday Night Football” conflict astatine SoFi Stadium. The Chargers improved to 6-4 and the Steelers dropped to 5-4-1.
“We finished arsenic a team,” Chargers information Derwin James said. “It didn’t ever spell arsenic we scripted it, but they battled back, they got immoderate momentum and we enactment the occurrence out. We got the occupation done.”
The Steelers erased a 17-point second-half shortage aft kicker Chris Boswell made a 45-yard tract extremity to instrumentality a 37-34 pb with 3:24 near successful regulation. Steelers backmost Ben Roethlisberger connected with choky extremity Pat Freiermuth for a 5-yard touchdown walk to necktie the crippled 34-34 with 4:23 remaining.
The Chargers had a 27-10 pb with 3:40 successful the 3rd quarter. The Chargers had a dreadful agelong successful the 4th quarter, but Herbert and his discourtesy regained their rhythm.
Herbert recovered his groove with timely runs and was close with downfield throws to wide receiver Keenan Allen and Williams. Herbert’s biggest tally was a 36-yard tally aft the Steelers made it a one-score crippled successful the 4th quarter.
Herbert had 382 passing yards with 3 touchdowns and added 90 rushing yards. Chargers moving backmost Austin Ekeler had 4 full touchdowns. Allen recorded 9 catches for 112 yards and Williams contributed 5 receptions for 97 yards and 1 touchdown. The Chargers had 533 full yards.
Heyward tackled Herbert connected his clutch third-down tally and threw 2 punches astatine Herbert’s tummy retired of frustration. Herbert was backmost to frustrating opposing defenses, thing helium did often successful his Rookie of the Year play past twelvemonth and 5 games into this play earlier the violative funk of the past month.
The Chargers weren’t extending plays and Herbert was overthinking against the analyzable defenses of the NFL amid their violative slide. Herbert had mislaid his comfortableness portion successful the losses to the Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots and Minnesota Vikings successful the past month.
But Herbert was having amusive connected the tract earlier the nightmare 4th fourth with captious runs and a pump fake mode past the enactment of scrimmage successful the 2nd quarter. Herbert was assertive and decisive passim the game.
“He was fantastic successful the crippled today,” Chargers manager Brandon Staley said. “He was the champion subordinate connected the field. He has existent instincts astatine the crippled for the position. He has existent instincts astatine the game. His legs, today, truly helped america triumph that shot game.”
But the Steelers made a precocious propulsion and trimmed the shortage to 27-20 aft a 1-yard rushing touchdown from rookie moving backmost Najee Harris with 11:35 near successful regulation. The Steelers capitalized connected a blocked punt and returned it to the Chargers’ 3-yard line.
The Chargers gained immoderate breathing country aft Herbert’s 36-yard tally and Ekeler’s 4th touchdown to widen the pb 34-20 with 8:48 near successful regulation. Ekeler finished with 50 rushing yards, 2 touchdowns and had 65 receiving yards with 2 touchdowns.
Williams’ diminution successful accumulation and the Chargers’ struggles to prolong agelong drives were reasons wherefore they entered Sunday with a breached offense. The Chargers got Williams progressive aboriginal against the Steelers and it led to a lengthy opening drive, which ended with a 6-yard touchdown tally from Ekeler.
The Chargers went 3 of 3 connected third-down conversions and had a 7-3 vantage with 2:09 successful the archetypal quarter. Williams had 3 catches for 41 yards connected the touchdown drive.
Herbert did astir of the enactment connected the Chargers’ 2nd touchdown bid by throwing for 50 yards and rushing for 40 yards connected the 98-yard drive. Herbert scrambled and recovered Ekeler for a 10-yard touchdown walk and a 14-3 pb with 3:42 near successful the archetypal half.
The Steelers rapidly responded with a seven-play, 64-yard touchdown thrust that took 2:33 disconnected the clock. Roethlisberger connected with wide receiver Diontae Johnson, who made an awesome 10-yard touchdown drawback to trim the Chargers’ pb 14-10 with 1:09 near earlier halftime.
Kicker Dustin Hopkins added a 30-yard tract extremity to springiness the Chargers a 17-10 pb astatine halftime. The Chargers lone had 3 possessions successful the archetypal half, but recorded 2 touchdowns and a tract goal.
The Steelers took much than six minutes disconnected the timepiece connected their opening thrust and were assisted by 3 penalties from the Chargers’ defense. Pittsburgh settled for a 36-yard tract extremity from Chris Boswell to instrumentality a 3-0 vantage with 8:29 successful the archetypal quarter.
The Chargers had a captious goal-line basal successful the 2nd 4th aft the Steelers had first-and-goal from the Chargers’ 5-yard line. Roethlisberger connected with Chase Claypool for 37 yards, but they failed to people and were stopped connected fourth-and-2.
The Chargers’ defence had plentifulness of unsmooth moments, but they had the game-clinching halt aft Herbert’s touchdown to Williams. Chargers borderline rusher Joey Bosa had a timely sack connected the last drive.
It was chaotic and ugly, but the Chargers did capable connected a memorable Sunday night.
English (US) ·