Game On: Sports News, Highlights & Commentary
Cameron Dicker kicked a go-ahead 54-yard field goal – one of his five in the game – and Tony Jefferson intercepted Jalen Hurts in overtime at the one-yard line, lifting the Los Angeles Chargers to a 22-19 victory over the slumping Philadelphia Eagles.
Hurts also made some unwanted history in the game as he became the first player in NFL history to turn the ball over twice on the same play.
The Chargers (9-4) won shortly after they overcame Odafe Oweh’s penalty on a neutral zone infraction that gave the Eagles a first down on fourth and four. One play later, Hurts threw deep to Jahan Dotson in double-coverage only to have Jefferson keep his feet in bounds on the game-ending play.
Hurts threw four interceptions and the Eagles committed five turnovers. The defending Super Bowl champions lost their season-worst third in a row and fell to 8-5.
Dicker’s 46-yard field goal with 12 seconds left sent the game to overtime tied 19-19 after Jake Elliott’s 44-yarder minutes earlier had put the Eagles ahead 19-16. Dicker was perfect on all five of his field goals.
Elliott had four field goals of his own at SoFi Stadium, where the Eagles’ green-and-white jerseys were a significant presence in the crowd.
Saquon Barkley gave the Eagles their first lead with a 52-yard touchdown to start the fourth quarter that made it 16-13. He finished the game with 122 yards on 20 carries.
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was 12 of 26 for 138 yards, one touchdown and one interception while playing with a surgically repaired non-throwing left hand. He also ran for 66 yards on 10 carries. Hurts was 21 of 40 for 240 yards and four interceptions.
Hurts’s extraordinary sequence of events came with 8:30 left in the second quarter. He was intercepted by Chargers defensive tackle Da’Shawn Hand at the Los Angeles 17. Eagles running back Will Shipley quickly chased down Hand and forced a fumble. The ball squirted forward and back into the hands of … Hurts. But as quickly as he could grab the ball, Hurts had it punched out by Chargers defensive tackle Jamaree Caldwell. After the ball rolled another 10 yards in Los Angeles’ favor, Chargers linebacker Troy Dye recovered the ball, bringing the chaotic play to an end. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Hurts is the first player in NFL history to turn the ball over twice on one play.
“Not the way we drew it up,” Herbert said of his team’s close victory. “But the battle in these guys is so much fun and I’m so honored to be part of this team, they never quit.”
According to Next Gen Stats, the win means the Chargers, second in the AFC West, have a 76% chance of making the playoffs. The Eagles still lead the NFC East ahead of the Cowboys (6-6-1) and have a 93% chance of reaching the postseason, according to Next Gen, mainly thanks to their weak remaining schedule which includes two games against the 3-10 Commanders and one against the 2-11 Raiders. The Chargers have a tougher run-in, in which they play the Chiefs, Cowboys, Texans and Broncos.
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