INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers had the uncanny knack of blowing double-digit leads and shedding within the final minute.
Now not anymore.
Herbert threw a 53-yard touchdown pass to Mike Williams with 2: 17 final as the Chargers rallied to procure care of off the Pittsburgh Steelers 41-37 despite blowing a 17-level lead in the initiating of the fourth quarter.
5 of the Chargers’ six wins this season had been fourth-quarter comebacks. Closing season, they lost 5 occasions when leading within the fourth.
“We had our biggest stuff at the tip,” first-three hundred and sixty five days coach Brandon Staley acknowledged. “I in actual fact feel love we’ve proven accurate stuff thru 10 games. I’m in actual fact gratified with this neighborhood. This sport turn into as soon as one in all my favorites, for definite.”
Herbert is the fifth quarterback in NFL historical previous to throw for as a minimum 300 yards passing and like now now not now now not as much as 90 yards speeding within the identical sport. He handed for 382 yards and rushed for 90, the most by a Chargers QB in a sport.
“We did a mammoth job transferring the ball and answering support as soon as we wanted to,” acknowledged Herbert, who accomplished 30 of 41 passes. “It got rather too conclude for definite. We had our alternatives to put it away. The defense did a mammoth job coming up with stops after which we put parts up on what turn into as soon as a gargantuan day for us.”
Los Angeles (6-4) had a 27-10 lead going into the fourth quarter earlier than the Steelers (5-4-1) rallied to procure a 37-34 lead on Chris Boswell’s 45-yard field draw with 3: 24 left. Los Angeles took over at the 25 and scored four plays later when Herbert chanced on Williams between the cornerback and safety. Williams, who had 97 yards on 5 catches, caught the ball at the Steelers 36-yard line and went untouched up the left sideline.
“We first and main called an out route to Keenan, however the cornerback turn into as soon as holding the flat in actual fact laborious. Justin beneficial me to be willing. I turn into as soon as begin and ran straight to the tip zone,” acknowledged Williams, who had 5 receptions for 97 yards.
Austin Ekeler had a profession-high four touchdowns and 115 scrimmage yards (65 receiving, 50 speeding). He’s the ninth participant within the Incandescent Bowl generation with now now not now now not as much as 2 speeding and two receiving rankings in a sport.
The Chargers generated 533 yards of offense, their fourth-most since 2000. It is additionally tied for the eighth-most the Steelers like allowed in a sport in franchise historical previous.
“I thought we had them,” acknowledged Steelers receiver Diontae Johnson, who had seven catches for 101 yards. “But it’s soccer. Stuff goes to happen, and we didn’t reply love we were presupposed to.”
Ben Roethlisberger handed for 273 yards and three touchdowns for Pittsburgh after lacking final week’s sport against Detroit attributable to he examined positive for COVID-19. Najee Harris turn into as soon as held to 39 yards and a TD.
Roethlisberger described the challenges he had in attempting to rearrange steady thru the final week.
“It is difficult now now not getting observe views, now now not watching observe from within the support of,” he acknowledged. “It’s more than a few watching it on movie at night. It’s in actual fact a definite path of, however we got thru it.”
Two of Pittsburgh’s rankings at some level of its rally came off Chargers’ mistakes. Harris scored on a 1-yard scramble to procure the Steelers to 27-20, four plays after Miles Killebrew blocked Ty Prolonged’s punt and it rolled out of bounds at the LA 3.
Ekeler put the Chargers support up by two rankings along with his fourth discover of the game earlier than the Steelers scored 17 straight parts to procure the lead. Roethlisberger connected with Eric Ebron for a 5-yard TD to draw them ton 34-27. On the ensuing drive, Cameron Sutton picked off Herbert’s pass intended for Allen and returned it to the 10. Pat Freiermuth tied it three plays in a while a 5-yard TD scramble.
After Williams’ recede-forward discover, Pittsburgh took over at the 25. Roethlisberger turn into as soon as sacked twice and the Steelers in the end grew to turn into it over on downs at the 3, where the Chargers ran out the final 1: 15.
FAST START
The Chargers scored on their first 5 possessions for the first time since 2017 against Washington. Ekeler ended three of the drives with TDs, and put Los Angeles on top 7-3 with a 6-yard elevate off left variety out.
Ekeler prolonged the lead to 14-3 with 3: 42 final within the 2d quarter with a 10-yard reception on a test-down from Herbert. His biggest play of the night although came on his third TD, when he took a cloak from Herbert, juked Steelers’ cornerback James Pierre, broke a ramification out by Terrell Edmunds after which dragged Taco Charlton the final 3 yards into the tip zone to impact it 24-10 three minutes into the third quarter.
“It turn into as soon as in actual fact a definite night. I turn into as soon as ready to procure benefit of what I had in front of me and, you know, ended up getting it within the tip zone,” he acknowledged.
QUESTIONABLE CALL
Heyward appeared as if it would punch Josh Palmer and Herbert following Herbert’s 36-yard scoot. Officers called pointless roughness however didn’t eject Heyward.
In a pool file, Senior Vice President of Officiating Walt Anderson acknowledged “It steady didn’t discover like it rose to the stage of a disagreeable that might possibly lead to a disqualification.”
Heyward acknowledged there turn into as soon as nothing malicious and that “I don’t order that I turn into as soon as attempting to punch him, however I comprehend it looks more worse than it is in slack circulate.”
Herbert acknowledged he didn’t procure offense over the play.
INJURIES
Steelers: TE Eric Ebron couldn’t return with a knee wretchedness. … OL J.C. Hassenauer injured his pectoral muscle and ought to tranquil be re-evaluated. … DB Arthur Maulet injured his neck and didn’t return, per coach Mike Tomlin.
Chargers: CB Asante Samuel Jr. suffered a concussion at some level of the fourth quarter. … Assistant offensive line coach Shaun Sarrett ignored the game on account of a non-COVID sickness.
