After a two-game skid of losses, the Los Angeles Chargers rebounded this past Sunday, beating the struggling Miami Dolphins 29-27 off the back of a herculean performance from quarterback Justin Herbert, which put his head coach Jim Harbaugh in awe.
“That play will be burned in my mind until they throw dirt over top of me,” Harbaugh said.
“Justin Herbert back to throw, defender wrapped around him, he’s able to mighty man it and shake it off and hit Ladd McConkey,” Harbaugh added. The play resulted in McConkey taking a 5-yard drag route for 42 yards, setting up the game-winning field goal.
“When I caught it, I saw a 1-on-1,” McConkey said. “I feel like, as a receiver, you catch the ball, you’ve got to make the first one miss. Whatever happens after that, happens.”
Herbert added, “He’s done such a great job of that, and I just have to get him the ball in space, and that’s what he does. When we needed him most, he showed up big time.”
McConkey, who got a block from Hassan Haskins to break loose, ended up inside the Dolphins’ red zone.
That play encapsulates the entire game for the Chargers; they had to fight for every single yard on every play. The Chargers started the game with backups at both tackle spots, with Bobby Hart only having been there for a week and Austin Declus manning the other side; it was already looking grim for the offense.
“Back and forth it went, and they responded as well. I think the things I feel great about, we talk about the next man up all the time,” Harbaugh added. “I get fired up for the next man up because it’s not just another game for them, it’s the game.”
This ideology also carried to the running back room after both starters, Najee Harris—out for the season with a torn Achilles—and rookie Omarion Hampton—on IR for four weeks with an ankle injury—Kimani Victor knew he had to step up. The 2024 sixth-round pick finished the day with 18 rushes for 124 yards, along with three catches for 14 yards and a touchdown.
The game featured six different lead changes, including the final one with only five seconds left in regulation.
“I find so many similarities to boxing and football,” Harbaugh said. “Especially in the sense of the cornerman asking you, ‘Can you go? Can you keep going? Give me one more round, give me one more round, give me one more series,’” Harbaugh added. “Give me one more drive.”
