Inglewood — Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert frustrated the Pittsburgh Steelers with a timely run and was punched by defensive tackle Cameron Heyward after a 36-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Hayward didn’t leave with a double punch and didn’t take long to become the person who frustrated Herbert.
The Chargers’ immeasurable meltdown peaked when Hayward tilted the Herbert Pass into the hands of Cameron Sutton in the cornerback for interception. The Chargers then took some more figurative bowel punches.
However, the Chargers made the final blow and avoided a spectacular collapse after Herbert found Mike Williams’ downfield wide open for a 53-yard touchdown pass. The Chargers defeated the Steelers 41-37 in a thrilling “Sunday Night Football” battle at SoFi Stadium. The charger has been improved to 6-4.
The Steelers erased the deficit in the second half of 17 points after kicker Chris Boswell scored a 45-yard field goal to take the lead 37-34 and leave a 3:24 regulation. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger connected with tight-end Pat Freiermuth to draw the match 34-34 with a five-yard touchdown pass.
The Chargers had a 27-10 lead at 3:40 in the third quarter. The Chargers made a terrible stretch in the fourth quarter, but Herbert and his attacks regained rhythm.
Herbert found his groove on a timely run and was accurate with a downfield throw to wide receiver Keenan Allen. Herbert’s biggest run was a 36-yard run after the Steelers made it a one-score game in the fourth quarter.
Herbert has 382 passyards with 3 touchdowns and has added 90 rush yards. The charger that repels Austin Ekeller had a total of four touchdowns.
Hayward tackled Herbert on Clutch’s third downrun and threw two punches into Herbert’s stomach out of frustration. Herbert has returned to the frustrating opposition defenses he made frequently in five games this season before last year’s Rookie of the Year season and last month’s aggressive funk.
The Chargers built an advantage of 27-10 with three touchdowns from Austin Ekeler’s running back.
However, the Steelers pushed late after a one-yard rush touchdown from the rookie who ran back to Najee Harris at 11:35, reducing the deficit to 27-20. The Steelers took advantage of the blocked punt to return to the Chargers’ 3-yard line.
The Chargers extended the lead to 34-20 with some margin after Herbert’s 36-yard run and Eckeller’s fourth touchdown, leaving 8:48 in regulation.
The decline in Williams production and the struggle to maintain the Chargers’ long drive were the reasons they entered Sunday with a broken attack. The Chargers involved Williams early on against the Steelers, which led to a long opening drive, ending with a 6-yard touchdown run from Ekeller.
The Chargers had a 3/3 third down conversion and had a 7-3 advantage at 2:09 in the first quarter. Williams had three catches of 41 yards on a touchdown drive.
Herbert did most of the Chargers’ second touchdown series, throwing 50 yards on a 98-yard drive and rushing 40 yards. Herbert scrambled and found Ekeller with a 10-yard touchdown pass and a 14-3 lead, leaving 3:42 in the first half.
The Steelers responded immediately with a 7-play, 64-yard touchdown drive, turning off 2:33. Roethlisberger connected with wide receiver Diontae Johnson to make an impressive 10-yard touchdown catch to trim the Chargers lead 14-10, leaving 1:09 before halftime. ..
Kicker Dustin Hopkins added a 30-yard field goal to give the Chargers a 17-10 lead in halftime. The Chargers had only three possessions in the first half, but scored two touchdowns and field goals.
The Steelers took more than six minutes off on the opening drive and were helped by three penalties from the Chargers’ defense. Pittsburgh settled on a 36-yard field goal from Chris Boswell to gain a 3-0 advantage at 8:29 in the first quarter.
The Chargers had an important goal line stand in the second quarter after the Steelers scored their first goal from the Chargers’ five-yard line. Roethlisberger connected to Chase Claypool at a distance of 37 yards, but failed to score and was stopped in 4th and 2nd.
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Justin Herbert, Chargers avoid epic collapse in wild win versus Steelers – Press Telegram Source link Justin Herbert, Chargers avoid epic collapse in wild win versus Steelers – Press Telegram