Kris Rhim
After Justin Herbert was sacked by Kansas Metropolis Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill late within the fourth quarter of Friday evening's recreation in Sao Paulo, it appeared the Los Angeles Chargers, clinging to a six-point lead, have been in peril of giving the ball again and probably headed towards one other crushing loss.
However on third-and-14 with 2:14 remaining, Herbert dropped again to cross, scrambled for 19 yards and calmly slid for a primary down whereas his teammates on the sideline went right into a frenzy.
The scramble sealed a 27-21 win for the Chargers, snapped a seven-game dropping streak towards the Chiefs and capped the most effective video games of Herbert's profession, as he completed with 318 passing yards with three touchdowns and 32 dashing yards. It was an emphatic near maybe the most important win of the Jim Harbaugh period in Los Angeles.
“He's exhausting to take care of,” Harbaugh stated of Herbert. “He is an issue.”
Common supervisor Joe Hortiz spent the offseason retooling the Chargers' offense. He signed operating again Najee Harris, proper guard Mekhi Becton and large receiver Keenan Allen. He drafted operating again Omarion Hampton within the first spherical and large receiver Tre' Harris within the second. The strikes got here after a humiliating 32-12 playoff loss to the Houston Texans, through which the Texans' line of defense dominated the road of scrimmage, Herbert was inaccurate, and the Chargers' receivers not named Ladd McConkey struggled mightily.
On Friday, the Chargers appeared to have left their offensive inefficiencies in Houston.
Herbert spent many of the evening working with time to survey the sphere and discover his receivers, ending 20-of-24 for 268 yards and two passing touchdowns when not pressured.
The Chargers' receiving corps, an Achilles' heel final season, was its energy Friday evening.
The primary factors of the sport got here from large receiver Quentin Johnston, who broke free on a crossing route within the first quarter. Johnston led the workforce in receiving yards (79) and touchdowns (2).
Allen, who returned to the Chargers final month, a 12 months after Los Angeles traded him to the Chicago Bears following a contract dispute, completed with seven catches for 68 yards and a landing. Allen's landing, which got here on an out route that left him large open, was the sixtieth of his profession with the Chargers, making him the third participant to achieve that mark in franchise historical past.
McConkey, the Chargers' prime goal, completed with six catches for 74 yards, his eleventh straight recreation with a minimum of 50 receiving yards to tie Charlie Joiner for the longest such streak in Chargers historical past.
“The passing recreation seems to be good. That is an actual energy for us,” Harbaugh stated. “Wasn't that cool to have Keenan Allen? And Ladd? And Quentin?”
Stated Herbert: “They only make performs, and so they make my job a lot simpler.”
The Chargers' greatest mishap got here simply earlier than the top of the primary half. The Chiefs had no timeouts with just below a minute remaining on third-and-14, and the Chargers had Hampton run the ball. However Hampton ran out of bounds, stopping the clock. On the published, Harbaugh appeared pissed off on the sideline, realizing Hampton's mistake.
Cameron Dicker made the sphere purpose to present the Chargers a 13-3 lead, however quarterback Patrick Mahomes marched the Chiefs down the sphere on the following drive with 40 seconds left within the half. Simply earlier than halftime, kicker Harrison Butker made a rushed 59-yard subject purpose that reduce Kansas Metropolis's deficit to 13-6.
Harbaugh took the blame for Hampton's error.
“None of us sensible coaches relayed the message to our younger operating again to remain in bounds,” Harbaugh stated. “Not his fault in any respect.”
The opposite concern for the Chargers was Becton, who appeared exhausted all through the evening, typically getting oxygen on the sideline from trainers. He missed a number of offensive sequence.
Becton had been listed as questionable due to an sickness, and Harbaugh stated that was the rationale for Becton's exhaustion and day off the sphere. Harbaugh stated he was impressed with how Becton carried out, evaluating it to Michael Jordan's flu recreation.
The Chargers will journey to Las Vegas to face the Raiders in Week 2 on “Monday Evening Soccer.”
