INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- The pocket around Justin Herbert collapsed, so he rolled left past several Denver Broncos defenders before firing a strike to Keenan Allen in the end zone for a touchdown.
It was a connection the duo has made countless times over the years—and one of the reasons the Chargers brought Allen back in the offseason. The 20-yard score tied the game at 20-20.
“By the time I turned around and seen him, he was already running,” Allen said. “I did the spin myself trying to get to the back pylon and he just threw it up, gave me a chance one-on-one with the other guy and I was able to come down with it.”
Safety Derwin James said the defense locked in at that point, knowing they had a chance to get the ball back to Herbert and the offense for the win.
That chance came quickly. On 2nd-and-10, Denver dialed up a screen for running back J.K. Dobbins, who appeared to have space until safety Tony Jefferson shot in for a stop at the line of scrimmage. On the next play, quarterback Bo Nix barely missed a deep connection with Courtland Sutton, who had tormented the Chargers secondary with six catches for 118 yards and a touchdown.
Denver punted, giving Herbert the ball with the game on the line.
It was a familiar script. Last December, Herbert orchestrated a similar late drive against Denver, leaning on a rookie to deliver in crunch time. This time, he trusted several first-year players to move the chains.
“We got a bunch of playmakers out there and just enough time to get the ball off and never a doubt,” Herbert said. “Guys had complete faith in each other the entire time.”
Herbert found rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden for gains of nine and six yards, then hit Allen for nine more. He turned to rookie running back Omarion Hampton for an 8-yard reception before connecting with Ladd McConkey for 12 yards to set up kicker Cameron Dicker.
As time expired, Dicker drilled a 43-yard field goal, sealing a 23-20 victory and a 3-0 start for the Chargers, who are also 3-0 in the AFC West.
"Just so much good and Cam Dicker – Cold-blooded," Harbaugh said.
It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for the Chargers’ offense—far from it. Justin Herbert finished 28 of 47 for 300 yards with one touchdown and one interception, but the bigger concern was the punishment he took. Herbert was pressured on multiple dropbacks, hit 14 times, sacked five times, and saw seven passes defended, including several tipped at the line.
In years past, a game like this—trailing 20-13 with five minutes left—would have slipped away from the Chargers.
Denver entered Sunday still fuming after last week’s 29-28 loss to the Colts on a last-second field goal. Against Daniel Jones, their defense managed just one sack. This time, the Broncos were determined to set the tone.
On the Chargers’ opening drive, Herbert hit Quentin Johnston on 3rd-and-7 for what looked like a routine short gain. But Patrick Surtain struggled to bring him down, and Johnston broke free for a 37-yard pickup. The drive stalled in the red zone, and Los Angeles settled for a field goal to take a 3-0 lead.
Defensively, the Chargers had Bo Nix rattled early. Denver managed just four yards of total offense in the first quarter. On Los Angeles’ fourth drive, however, Herbert had a pass tipped near the red zone and intercepted by safety Brandon Jones.
The Chargers regrouped on their next possession after a 33-yard punt return from Derius Davis. Facing 2nd-and-8 at the Denver 25, Herbert found Johnston between two defenders, and Patrick Surtain was flagged for pass interference on the play. Two snaps later, rookie Omarion Hampton powered in for his first career rushing touchdown, giving L.A. a 10-0 lead.
But the Broncos soon found life.
On 3rd-and-10 from their own 40, Nix scrambled for eight yards before being forced out by Derwin James. Facing 4th-and-2, Nix hit a wide-open Courtland Sutton for a 52-yard score. The Chargers defense lost track of him completely, leaving Sutton alone on an island. The touchdown cut the deficit to 10-7 heading into halftime.
Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins, eager to prove a point against his former team, had been bottled up with minus-4 rushing yards in the first half. But on the first play of the second, he broke free around the left side for a 41-yard gain. Two plays later, he scored on a 19-yard catch-and-run, sparking Denver’s rally.
Two plays later, Nix flipped a pass behind the line to Dobbins, who turned upfield for a 19-yard touchdown. After finishing the first half with minus-4 rushing yards, Dobbins exploded for 64 yards and a score in just three plays, giving Denver a 14-10 lead.
The Chargers, who had committed just one turnover all season, gave the ball away twice in a span of a quarter and a half. On the ensuing kickoff, Derius Davis had the ball knocked loose by J.L. Skinner, and the Broncos recovered. Denver capitalized with a 42-yard Will Lutz field goal to extend its run to 17 unanswered points.
On the next drive, the Chargers leaned on rookie Omarion Hampton both on the ground and through the air. Herbert converted a pair of third downs with 12-yard completions to Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston, but the drive stalled, and Cameron Dicker hit a 24-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 17-13.
Nix responded by marching Denver back into scoring range, converting a 4th-and-1 with a 22-yard strike to Sutton. But the Broncos’ drive unraveled when receiver Troy Franklin was flagged for offensive pass interference in the end zone. They settled for another Lutz field goal, this one from 26 yards, to make it 20-13.
From that point, the Chargers’ defense tightened up and closed the door.
Los Angeles’ offensive line was already a concern before right guard Mekhi Becton exited with a head injury. They also lost running back Najee Harris to an ankle injury after a promising start. Hampton carried the load, finishing with 25 touches for 129 yards and a touchdown.
"Man, what a game he had. How about that?" Harbaugh said. "He put that work in today, and he was running with a purpose. Gritty performance by him. Just always lunging forward, surging forward."
The Chargers will need to identify who can step up behind their rookie back, but for now, they’re 3-0. They’ve won in different ways through the first three weeks, though plenty of issues remain. Next up is a tough matchup with the New York Giants, whose dominant front four could cause the same problems Herbert faced Sunday.
Even with multiple injuries on offense, Herbert delivered the kind of late-game magic his teammates have come to expect when they need him most.
“I don’t think I have the vocabulary to express how great I feel,” Harbaugh said. “It’s a signature win. It’s one that reveals your character. That all-out hustle from our guys from the first snap of the game to the end.”