MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — — Justin Herbert escaped the Dolphins’ pass rush and connected with Ladd McConkey for a 42-yard catch-and-run in the final minute, setting up Cameron Dicker‘s fifth field goal of the game, and the Los Angeles Chargers rallied to beat Miami 29-27 on Sunday.
The Dolphins overcame a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter and took the lead when Tua Tagovailoa threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Darren Waller with 46 seconds remaining.
Nyheim Hines set the Chargers up at Miami’s 35 with a 40-yard return of the ensuing kickoff. On second-and-10, Herbert stepped up in the pocket, got free from the grasp of Jaelan Phillips and threw a short pass to McConkey, who broke a tackle and ran out of bounds at the Miami 17. Dicker’s 33-yard kick won it for Los Angeles (4-2), which snapped a two-game skid.
Herbert completed 29 of 38 passes for 264 yards and two touchdowns. Kimani Vidal, getting the bulk of carries for Los Angeles’ banged-up backfield, finished with 18 rushes for 124 yards and had a 7-yard touchdown catch. McConkey had seven catches for 100 yards and a TD.
Tagovailoa, who finished with 205 yards passing, threw his third interception of the day on Miami’s final possession, and the Dolphins (1-5) were booed off the field at Hard Rock Stadium.
Both of Herbert’s TD throws came in the second half as the Chargers turned a four-point third-quarter deficit into a 10-point lead in minutes.
The Chargers’ opening drive of the third went 13 plays for 77 yards and ended in Herbert extending the play to find McConkey in the end zone. That put Los Angels ahead 16-13.
Tagovailoa was intercepted on Miami’s next drive, leading to Vidal’s score that gave the Chargers a 23-13 advantage.
Tagovailoa was 21 of 32 with his second three-turnover game of the season. His first pick landed in Jaylen Waddle’s hands before popping out of the receiver’s grasp and into the hands of safety Tony Jefferson on Miami’s second play from scrimmage.
De’Von Achane had 16 carries for 128 yards and two TDs — including an electric 49-yard score in the first. His 4-yard run in the fourth pulled Miami within six points with about seven minutes left.
“To lose like that, it’s like, what more could we have done?” Achane said.
After Miami’s much-maligned defense limited the Chargers to three field goals — one of the worst red-zone teams in the NFL, Los Angeles failed to find the end zone on its first three trips inside the 20 — the Dolphins led 13-9 at halftime.
In a well-executed two-minute drill, Tagovailoa led a nine-play, 83-yard scoring drive highlighted by a bobbled 49-yard catch from Waddle to set up Riley Patterson’s 27-yarder to end the half.
Waddle’s big gain was the Dolphins’ second play of 40-plus yards in the half. Miami only had just two such plays on the season entering Sunday.
Up next
Chargers: Host Indianapolis next Sunday.
Dolphins: At Cleveland next Sunday.
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