INGLEWOOD, Calif.—Sunday’s game, Oct. 10, at SOFI Stadium between the L.A. Chargers and the Cleveland Browns resulted in a high-scoring affair. The Chargers were successful in a couple of late defensive stops to finish on top 47–42.
Chargers’ QB, Justin Herbert, passed for 398 yards in the win, completing 26 of 43 attempts and four touchdowns. Herbert also rushed nine yards for a touchdown. He broke the record for having the most 300-plus-yard passing games in his first two years in the league, with 11.
His counterpart for Cleveland, Baker Mayfield, completed 23 passes out of 32 attempts. Two of these throws were for touchdowns, without any interceptions.
Cleveland finished the first half with 10 unanswered points to lead 20–13. They increased the lead by 14, 27–14, after an opening 75-yard touchdown drive in the third quarter. There were eight lead changes throughout the game, including four in the last 15 minutes.
The Chargers were able to storm back to lead 28–27 early in the fourth quarter. Twice the Browns took a touchdown lead. The Chargers countered both times with touchdowns of their own, for a one-point deficit of 41–42, with 3:15 remaining in the game.
Chargers’ kicker, Tristan Vizcaino, missed his second extra-point attempt that would have tied the game.
The Charger defense held the Browns in their last two drives, while the Chargers took the final lead with a six-play, 75-yard drive for a touchdown.
Browns’ defense dragged Chargers’ running back, Austin Ekeler, from three yards away into the end zone with 1:31 left in the game. This seemingly perplexing defensive strategy allowed the Browns’ offense to have as much time as possible for a potential winning drive.
Chargers’ Ekeler ran for 66 yards on 17 carries that resulted in two rushing touchdowns and a receiving TD.
Teammate wide receiver, Mike Williams, had 165 receiving yards and caught two touchdown passes.
Chargers’ head coach Brandon Staley said: “To win a game like this, one that turns into a track meet, you have to have a superstar quarterback to win it. Like I told the team in there, the reason why [Herbert is] able to play how he’s capable of playing is that he has a really good team around him.”
Staley successfully called three fourth-down attempts for the game.
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