Back in gear, Chargers offense has drive to beat Eagles on final possession, 27-24
PHILADELPHIA — They drained almost all the clock that remained, forced Philadelphia to exhaust all three of its timeouts and, when it absolutely mattered most, ended things in the coldest of ways.
By kicking — quite literally — the Eagles when they were down.
Dustin Hopkins booted a 29-yard field goal in the closing seconds Sunday to cap a dominant, game-grabbing drive in a 27-24 Chargers’ victory that stilled a once-chaotic Lincoln Financial Field.
With that exclamation point, the Chargers halted a two-game losing streak and are atop the AFC West at 5-3.
They won in Philadelphia with a 15-play series that covered 64 yards and consumed all but two seconds of the final 6:07 that remained when they took possession.
Dustin Hopkins’ 29-yard field goal lifts Chargers to victory
Dustin Hopkins kicked a 29-yard field goal with two seconds left to give the Chargers a 27-24 victory over Philadelphia.
The Chargers converted two fourth downs on their final, game-winning possession, and Austin Ekeler rushed for 16 yards on a play immediately before Hopkins’ final kick.
The Chargers snapped a two-game losing streak and improved to 5-3.
Justin Herbert completed 32 of 38 passes for 356 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for a score.
Keenan Allen had 12 receptions for 104 yards.
The Chargers scored on all four of their second-half possessions.
Jalen Hurts and Eagles slice through Chargers’ defense for TD
Jalen Hurts and DeVonta Smith connected on a 28-yard touchdown pass to tie the score 24-24 with 6:07 remaining in regulation.
Smith was able to just beat Chris Harris Jr. into the end zone as Philadelphia went 78 yards in 10 plays.
This game has been tied three times and there have been four lead changes. The Eagles have scored on three of their past four possessions and the Chargers on three straight.
Justin Herbert turns on the afterburners and scores TD
Justin Herbert ran eight yards for a touchdown to put the Chargers back up with 11:32 remaining in regulation.
Herbert then hit Jared Cook for a two-point conversion to make it 24-17.
The Chargers have scored on four of their six full possessions and turned the ball over on downs on the other two. One of those series ended at the Philadelphia one-yard line and the other at the Eagles’ 26.
Herbert is 27 of 31 for 319 yards and two touchdowns, to go along with his rushing score.
Eagles retake lead over Chargers in the third quarter
The Chargers gave the lead right back as Philadelphia marched 85 yards in 10 play with Kennth Gainwell scoring from a yard out.
Jake Elliott’s extra point made it 17-16 with the 3:10 mark of the third quarter.
The Eagles mostly ran against the Chargers in the first half but came out throwing on this drive. Jalen Hurts had completions of 23, 19 and 21 yards. He also converted a third-and-eight with a 12-yard scramble.
Justin Herbert connects on TD pass to Donald Parham to give Chargers the lead
The Chargers took their first lead since early in the second quarter when Donald Parham turned a pass into the flat into an eight-yard touchdown, making it 16-10 with 6:44 remaining in the third quarter.
The scoring pass was the second of the game for Justin Herbert.
Dustin Hopkins missed the extra point, the Chargers’ sixth errant point after of the season.
The touchdown was set up by a 49-yard Herbert completion to Mike Williams on the first play of the series.
The catch was the Williams’ second of the game after he had no receptions in the first half.
Dustin Hopkins field goal ties game 10-10 in the third quarter
The Chargers took the opening kickoff of the second half and drove into position for a 30-yard field goal by Dustin Hopkins.
The kick made it 10-10 with 10:33 to go in the third quarter.
The Chargers went 57 yards in nine plays on the series. Justin Herbert is now 19 of 23 for 220 yards and a touchdown. His quarterback rating is 121.
The Chargers continue to struggle stopping the run and running the ball themselves. They’ve rushed 14 times for only 29 yards. Their leading ball carrier is Austin Ekeler, who has 10 yards.
Eagles kick a field goal late in second quarter to take 10-7 halftime lead
The Chargers trail Philadelphia at the half 10-7.
The Eagles took the lead on a 24-yard field goal by Jake Elliott with 21 seconds remaining in the second quarter.
The Chargers had only three full possession through the first two quarters as the defense struggled to get Philadelphia’s offense off the field. The Eagles are five of eight on third down.
Justin Herbert is 15 of 18 for 161 yards and a touchdown (to Stephen Anderson). Keenan Allen has six receptions for 46 yards and Jared Cook four catches for 48 yards.
Philadelphia has rushed 25 times for 115 yards. The Chargers began Sunday last in the NFL against the run.
Jordan Howard’s TD run ties game early in second quarter
Philadelphia pulled even 7-7 on a four-yard touchdown run by Jordan Howard at the 11:20 mark of the second quarter.
The Eagles went 75 yards in 10 plays to tie the score.
The big play on the drive was a 27-yard pass from Jalen Hurts to DeVonta Smith, who beat Chris Harris Jr.
Chargers jump into lead on a short Justin Herbert TD pass
The Chargers opened a 7-0 lead on a two-yard touchdown pass from Justin Herbert to Stephen Anderson with 50 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
After turning the ball over on downs at the Philadelphia one-yard line on their opening possession, the Chargers held the Eagles to a three-and-out. A 10-yard punt return by Andre Roberts put the offense at the Philadelphia 38.
Herbert and the offense needed six plays to cover that distance.
Chargers match NFL record with scoreless 98-yard drive on first possession
The Chargers matched all-time NFL history with their first drive when they went 98 yards and didn’t score.
They took over at their own one-yard line and, 15 plays later, were stopped at Philadelphia’s one.
The Chargers had first-and-goal at the Eagles’ two. Justin Herbert then threw incomplete to Mike Williams, Austin Ekeler ran for no gain and Herbert fired incomplete to Williams again.
That set up fourth down. Herbert connected with Keenan Allen this time, but he was tackled at the one-yard line to turn the ball over on downs.
The drive marked the 14th time since 2000 that a team went that long and didn’t score a touchdown. It also happened in last week’s game between the Packers and Cardinals.
Tevaughn Campbell is active for Chargers vs. Eagles
Cornerback Tevaughn Campbell, who was questionable for the game because of a groin injury, is active Sunday.
The Chargers’ inactives against Philadelphia: CB Michael Davis (hamstring), CB Asante Samuel Jr. (concussion protocol), S Alohi Gilman (ankle), RB Justin Jackson (quadriceps), FB Gabe Nabers, QB Easton Stick and OL Trey Pipkins III.
The Chargers activated wide receiver Maurice Ffrench and cornerback Kiondre Thomas from the practice squad Saturday. Ffrench will wear jersey No. 80 and Thomas jersey No. 38.
Linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr. (ankle) rejoined practice last week and is nearing his return. He remains on the injured reserve list.
Chargers’ Justin Herbert, formerly hot-handed, now has injured hand with Eagles ahead
Following two of the least productive games of his NFL career, Justin Herbert is now also dealing with a hand injury.
The Chargers’ quarterback hit his hand on a New England defender on his follow through late in the game Sunday. Herbert was limited in practice Wednesday.
The situation wasn’t known publicly until the team released its official injury report.
Herbert hit his hand in a similar manner against Kansas City on Sept. 26 but missed no snaps and eventually threw a winning touchdown to Mike Williams in the final minute.
After the victory over the Chiefs, Herbert produced 620 yards and seven touchdowns (with no interceptions) through the air in wins against Las Vegas and Cleveland as the Chargers opened the season 4-1.
Why the Chargers aren’t worried about Keenan Allen’s pass-catching woes
He made only five of 21 field-goal attempts last month in Golden State’s season-opening victory over the Lakers.
Two nights later, Stephen Curry went 16 of 25 and scored 45 points in a win over the Clippers.
Considering those types of numbers, coach Brandon Staley tempered any concerns about Keenan Allen, the normally reliable Chargers wide receiver who entered Week 9 tied for second in the NFL with six drops.
Staley, a former high school basketball standout in Ohio, likened Allen’s performance to a shooting slump an NBA player such as Curry might experience.
Chargers vs. Eagles matchups: L.A. looks to break out of funk
Breaking down how the Chargers (4-3) and the Philadelphia Eagles (3-5) match up heading into their game at 1:05 p.m. PST on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. The game will be carried on CBS (Channel 2).
When Chargers have the ball: Austin Ekeler scored three touchdowns in the final 7 minutes 24 seconds of the Chargers’ victory over Cleveland on Oct. 10. In 120 minutes of football since, Ekeler and the rest of the Chargers have scored just four touchdowns. The numbers haven’t been pretty in losses to Baltimore and New England, the Chargers too often failing to sustain drives. They are nine of 29 on third and fourth downs over their last two games. Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said he believes the Chargers will emerge from their funk given all the talent they have on offense. “Once it gets going,” he said, “it’ll get going.” Philadelphia is coming off a dominant defensive and rushing effort in a 44-6 road victory. As impressive as that sounds, the fact the performance came against winless Detroit puts it in proper perspective. Still, the Chargers can’t be certain of any success Sunday because of how much they’ve been sputtering. One issue is the heat quarterback Justin Herbert has felt of late. He was pressured 17 times by the Patriots, and the Eagles have a strong front. Coach Brandon Staley suggested the Chargers could try to help Herbert by manipulating “the pocket as much as we can and change the launch points.” Putting Herbert on the move could in turn get the offense moving.
Chargers vs. Philadelphia Eagles: NFL betting lines, odds and analysis
Los Angeles Chargers (-1.5, O/U 50) at Philadelphia Eagles
The advance line for this game last week was Chargers -3, but then they lost to the Patriots and the Eagles routed the Lions. The line reopened Chargers -2.5 and we’ve seen early money on the Eagles to drive it down to 1.5 at a lot of books.
Despite the Chargers’ loss, I still have them as a bigger favorite here, so the line is too short for me to take the Eagles as a dog. However, I believe the better way to bet this game is to tease the Eagles over a TD.
As I’ve written several times at VSiN.com this season, if 6-point NFL teasers aren’t a part of your weekly betting portfolio, you’re missing out. The oddsmakers are so good at making these lines into coin-flip propositions that it makes sense to use their expertise against them by moving the spread 6 points in your favor (and the most advantageous time to do that is to tease through the key numbers of 3 and 7 as those are still the most common margins of victory in the NFL.
Is something wrong with Justin Herbert? Chargers’ game at Eagles could answer that
PHILADELPHIA — The first 20 starts of his career were all about what’s right with Justin Herbert.
Following the last two, some observers are pondering a question that would have seemed absurd just three weeks ago:
Is there something wrong with Justin Herbert?
The NFL’s reigning offensive rookie of the year has had consecutive unimpressive performances as the Chargers’ offense has looked, for the first time in his young career, off balance for a stretch.
The group did little in a four-touchdown loss at Baltimore before having a week off. The offense returned to score on its first and final possessions against New England — while producing not nearly enough in between.
Set to play Sunday in Philadelphia’s boisterous Lincoln Financial Field, Herbert will be looking to silence the questions, which is not to suggest the Chargers themselves are asking anything.