As everyone expected, the Chargers scored a season-high in points against the Seahawks’ top-ranked defense.
Unfortunately, it still wasn’t more than the Seahawks scored.
And hey, the offense legitimately came to life late to make it a ball game.
The Seahawks scored on the opening drive to push their lead to 27-6 which was a deficit that may have been insurmountable given what the Chargers offense has looked like all season up to this point. However, it was the Bolts who managed to outscore the Seahawks 17 to 3 the rest of the way, coming up with a real two-minute opportunity to win the game.
Unfortunately all of the late-game heroics by Herbert that led to such a crunch-time moment for all for naught.
On third-and-one with 1:03 remaining, Herbert dropped back and was stripped by former Chargers pass rusher Uchenna Nwosu. The Seahawks recovered and that was that. No final drive for the Herbert and the offense. Just a lot of momentum snuffed out in an instant.
And that sucks, to be quite honest.
After a horrid first half where Herbert threw for less than 40 yards, he bounced back in the final two quarters, throwing for 153 and a touchdown to Kimani Vidal. For a moment, he looked like the Herbert we all came into the season knowing well. It also wasn’t a surprise that he looked better the moment McDaniel stopped getting cute with his play calls.
No motion. No unique handoff technique. No odd personnel formations. Just Herbert dropping back and letting it rip.
Did it really take McDaniel almost four full games to realize that he doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel?
And what was the deal with the running back rotation?
Third-stringer Kimani Vidal played a season high in snaps while Hampton looked to become an afterthought behind him and Keaton Mitchell, the latter of which received a game-high 10 carries (Hampton got nine for a team-high 45 yards and a touchdown). Mitchell also led the offense with five receptions (tied with Oronde Gadsden) for 24 yards.
It sure looked like McDaniel made a concerted effort to force the ball into Mitchell’s hands despite Hampton being much more efficient. It wasn’t until the Chargers’ feverish comeback in the fourth quarter that McDaniel decided to get Hampton more involved.
At the end of the day the Bolts did score a new season high in points, and it should be noted just how many injuries they went through to get there.
By the end of the game, left tackle Rashawn Slater, right tackle Joe Alt, and left guard Trevor Penning were all sidelined with various injuries. Alt left with a neck injury and was not seen on the sideline during the entire second half. Slater went out late in the fourth and was later seen with a boot on his right foot with crutches.
When Hampton dove in from two yards out to make it a 10-point game, he ran behind FOUR rookies and right guard Cole Strange. Following Slater’s injury on the play before, the Chargers front five were (from left to right): Logan Taylor, Jake Slaughter, Jacob Spomer, Strange, and Travis Burke.
A sixth-rounder, second-rounder out of position, a UDFA, an underwhelming veteran, and a fourth-round pick. That’s all the Chargers had left for healthy linemen who were dressed in Seattle.
That’s a lot of injuries, but something seemed to create a spark inside Herbert and the offense. Maybe they just love playing with the entire deck stacked against them. Maybe they just feed on the immense pressuere.
Who knows, but at least the offense has some better film to watch this week.
Check out the entire recap of Sunday’s game below.
The Chargers received the opening kickoff with running back Keaton Mitchell returning it out to the 32-yard line.
On the first play of the game, Herbert was picked off by linebacker Drake Thomas who was not fooled by the play action. Oronde Gadsden was the target and it was clear Herbert did not see Thomas drop back underneath the route before throwing.
However, on the second play of the game, Sam Darnold threw out to his running back in the flat, but he slipped and the ball when straight into Tuli Tuipulotu’s arms for a second interception in as many plays.
With the ball back, the Chargers managed to move the chains twice before the drive stalled just outside the red zone. Mitchell recorded an eight-yard reception for the team’s first first down of the game and a 13-yard pitch-and-catch to wideout Tre’ Harris for the second.
The Chargers defense then followed with a three-and-out by the Seahawks offense, but punt returner Derius Davis let the punt bounce off his chest and Seattle recovered at the LA 23-yard line.
On the first play following the turnover, Darnold found running back Emmanuel Wilson on a screen before taking it all the way into the end zone. The PAT was good and the Seahawks led 7-3.
Herbert and the offense came out uninspired, going three-and-out before punting it away once again.
The Chargers showed some life on offense again later in the quarter, starting their drive with runs of nine (Vidal) and 15 (Hampton), but it sputtered out after Quentin Johnston lost four yards on an end-around on second-and-10. Ladd McConkey then recorded his first drop of the season after bobbling the ball on a potential chain-moving reception.
Chris O’Leary’s unit remained steady and forced another three-and-out by the Seahawks on the very next drive.
After three combined punts by both teams, the Seahawks became the first offense to convert on a third down as Darnold found Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a gain of 28 yards. Three plays later, wide receiver Rashid Shaheed took an end around and raced 28 yards into the end zone to increase the Seahawks’ lead to 13-3 after Jason Myers was wide right on the extra point.
Herbert was picked off for a second time on an attempt towards McConkey. Linebacker Ernest Jones looked to drop back underneath the slant route and Herbert threw it right to him. The Seahawks scored two plays later on an eight-yard run by Wilson to push their lead to 20-3.
The Chargers got the ball back with 38 seconds remaining. Herbert took off on third-and-eight for a huge pickup of 26 yards down to the Seattle 38-yard line. That was the longest play of the day for the Chargers and it helped flip the field into Seahawks territory. An unnecessary roughness penalty on Seattle then pushed them 15 yards closer and Cameron Dicker came on to convert a 39-yard field goal.
Both teams went into the locker rooms with the Seahawks holding a 20-6 lead.
Darnold and the Seahawks offense came out hot to begin the second half. They marched 67 yards in eight plays, including a 20-yard completion to Smith-Njigba to begin the drive. Darnold capped the drive with a six-yard touchdown pass to Tory Horton, further piling on their lead to 27-6.
For the first time all game, the Chargers offense looked like a competent group on the ensuing drive.
Aided by yet another unnecessary roughness penalty by the Seahawks, the Chargers were taken from their 16 to their 31 on the very first play. On Third-and-four, Seahawks safety Nick Emanwori was then called for a face mask penalty which gave the Chargers another free 15 yards.
Herbert then found Tre’ Harris for a gain of 26 that brought them just into the red zone at the Seattle 20-yard line. Three plays later, Herbert found Oronde Gadsden for four yards on fourth-and-three to keep their drive alive. Vidal was on the receiving end of a nine-yard touchdown pass from Herbert on second-and-goal and the Chargers finally found the end zone to generate some hope with the score now 27-13.
The Seahawks responded with another long drive that ended in a field goal to once again make it a three-score game. The Chargers nearly got away with keeping Seattle off the board, but Tuli Tuipulotu was called for a leverage penalty on a missed Myers field goal that gave them a fresh set of downs. Still, the defense held and Myers was good on his second kick of the drive.
The Chargers ended their longest drive of the game in the end zone behind a strong run by Hampton from two yards out. During the 16-play, 85-yard drive, Herbert was sacked hard twice by the Seahawks but both ended in roughing the passer calls that keep the offense on the field. At one point, Herbert was wincing in pain on the ground while holding his side, but he gutted it out to help lead the team to their second touchdown of the day and a new season-high 20 points. Still, they faced a 10-point deficit with a little under eight minutes left in regulation.
Herbert made the play of the game on fourth down after the Chargers got the ball back with four minutes remaining on the clock.
On fourth-and-seven, Herbert was flushed from the pocket and rolling right. He scanned downfield and fired a moonshot to Johnston who managed to come down with the ball despite having his legs taken out from under him. On the next third down, Herbert completed a 21-yard pass to Harris who stepped out of bounds to halt the clock. Needing 10 points, Jim Harbaugh chose to kick a field goal immediately and Dicker was good from 36 yards out to make it a seven-point game.
Needing a stop in a big way, the Chargers stuffed a run for no gain on the first Seahawks play of the ensuing drive. Darnold scrambled on second down and the Bolts looked to be escorting him out of bounds but the quarterback decided to slide before stepping out. Defensive lineman Justin Eboigbe then fell on Darnold’s head after he was already on the ground and the officials threw a flag for unnecessary roughness which gave the Seahawks a fresh set of down just before the two-minute warning.
The Chargers eventually got the stop and the ball back with 1:42 remaining. All the momentum was with the Chargers at that point….and then it wasn’t.
On third-and-one, Herbert dropped back and was sacked almost immediately by former Chargers pass rusher Uchenna Nwosu. Seattle recovered and knelt out the rest of the clock.
The Chargers fell to 0-4 and are back home next Sunday to host the Broncos (2-2).