Herbert throws a 53-backyard touchdown skip to Mike Williams with 2:17 closing because the Chargers rallied to preserve off the Pittsburgh Steelers 41-37 despite blowing a 17-factor lead at the start of the fourth quarter.
Five of the Chargers’ six wins this season had been fourth-zone comebacks. Last season, they misplaced 5 instances when leading inside the fourth.
“We had our nice stuff at the give up,” first-yr educate Brandon Staley stated. “I experience like we’ve shown real stuff via 10 video games. I’m really proud of this group. This recreation changed into one among my favorites, for sure.”
Herbert is the 5th quarterback in NFL records to throw for as a minimum 300 yards passing and feature as a minimum ninety yards speeding within the same sport. He passed for 382 yards and rushed for ninety, the most by way of a Chargers QB in a game.
“We did a exquisite task moving the ball and answering lower back when we needed to,” said Herbert, who finished 30 of forty one passes. “It got a bit too near for sure. We had our possibilities to place it away. The defense did a notable task arising with stops after which we put points up on what was a large day for us.”
Los Angeles (6-four) had a 27-10 lead going into the fourth sector earlier than the Steelers (5-four-1) rallied to take a 37-34 lead on Chris Boswell’s forty five-yard field goal with 3:24 left. Los Angeles took over on the 25 and scored 4 performs later whilst Herbert determined Williams among the cornerback and protection. Williams, who had ninety seven yards on 5 catches, stuck the ball on the Steelers 36-yard line and went untouched up the left sideline.
“We at first called an out direction to Keenan, but the cornerback changed into protecting the flat surely tough. Justin informed me to be ready. I was open and ran directly to the stop zone,” stated Williams, who had 5 receptions for 97 yards.
Austin Ekeler had a profession-high four touchdowns and one hundred fifteen scrimmage yards (sixty five receiving, 50 rushing). He’s the 9th player in the Super Bowl era with at least rushing and receiving scores in a recreation.
The Chargers generated 533 yards of offense, their fourth-most due to the fact that 2000. It is likewise tied for the 8th-most the Steelers have allowed in a sport in franchise history.
“I thought we had them,” stated Steelers receiver Diontae Johnson, who had seven catches for one hundred and one yards. “But it’s football. Stuff is going to happen, and we didn’t reply like we have been supposed to.”
Ben Roethlisberger passed for 273 yards and three touchdowns for Pittsburgh after lacking last week’s sport towards Detroit due to the fact he tested wonderful for COVID-19. Najee Harris turned into held to 39 yards and a TD.
Roethlisberger defined the challenges he had in trying to prepare over the past week.
“It is difficult no longer getting practice perspectives, now not watching practice from at the back of,” he said. “It’s distinctive looking it on movie at night. It’s truly a extraordinary process, however we got via it.”
Two of Pittsburgh’s ratings at some point of its rally came off Chargers’ errors. Harris scored on a 1-backyard run to get the Steelers to 27-20, 4 plays after Miles Killebrew blocked Ty Long’s punt and it rolled out of bounds on the LA 3.
Ekeler positioned the Chargers returned up by way of scores with his fourth score of the sport before the Steelers scored 17 directly factors to take the lead. Roethlisberger connected with Eric Ebron for a five-yard TD to draw them ton 34-27. On the following force, Cameron Sutton picked off Herbert’s pass meant for Allen and lower back it to the ten. Pat Freiermuth tied it three plays afterward a five-backyard TD run.
After Williams’ pass-in advance score, Pittsburgh took over at the 25. Roethlisberger become sacked two times and the Steelers subsequently turned it over on downs on the three, wherein the Chargers ran out the final 1:15.
FAST START
The Chargers scored on their first 5 possessions for the primary time for the reason that 2017 in opposition to Washington. Ekeler ended three of the drives with TDs, and placed Los Angeles on pinnacle 7-3 with a 6-backyard deliver off left address.
Ekeler extended the result in 14-three with 3:42 final in the second region with a 10-yard reception on a take a look at-down from Herbert. His first-rate play of the night time although got here on his 0.33 TD, whilst he took a display screen from Herbert, juked Steelers’ cornerback James Pierre, broke a address by way of Terrell Edmunds and then dragged Taco Charlton the remaining three yards into the quit sector to make it 24-10 3 mins into the 1/3 region.
“It became absolutely a unique night time. I changed into capable of take advantage of what I had in the front of me and, you already know, ended up getting it in the end quarter,” he said.
QUESTIONABLE CALL
Heyward regarded to punch Josh Palmer and Herbert following Herbert’s 36-backyard scramble. Officials known as needless roughness but did no longer eject Heyward.
In a pool file, Senior Vice President of Officiating Walt Anderson said “It simply didn’t appear like it rose to the level of a foul that could bring about a disqualification.”
Heyward stated there has been nothing malicious and that “I don’t think that I changed into looking to punch him, however I know it looks more worse than it is in sluggish movement.”
Herbert stated he did no longer take offense over the play.
INJURIES
Steelers: TE Eric Ebron couldn’t return with a knee damage. … OL J.C. Hassenauer injured his pectoral muscle and will be re-evaluated. … DB Arthur Maulet injured his neck and did now not return, in step with instruct Mike Tomlin.
Chargers: CB Asante Samuel Jr. Suffered a concussion at some point of the fourth region. … Assistant offensive line teach Shaun Sarrett neglected the sport due to a non-COVID infection.
