Justin Herbert Delivers in the Clutch to Cap Off Chargers' 17-14 Win Over Titans

The Chargers improve to a 8-6 record following their win over the Titans.

Author:
Nicholas Cothrel
Publish date:
Dec 18, 2022 10:17 PM EST

In this story:

For three quarters of play, Sunday's game between the Chargers and Titans remained at a standstill with a score of 7-7. But in the fourth quarter, things began to take shape, finishing with a game-winning drive led by quarterback Justin Herbert that resulted in a 17-14 Chargers victory.

"I thought he had his best when the best was required," Chargers coach Brandon Staley said after the game about Herbert. "You saw all the things that make him special. His resilience, his poise, his playmaking. ... There was a lot of pressure inside [the pocket] and it was tight. But Justin plays like he always does. He's patient and was able to make big plays for us."

The Chargers had seven of their drives come to an end by punting and twice turned the ball over. It wasn’t the cleanest performance by the offense, but when the game mattered most, Herbert willed the team in position to come out on top.

The fourth quarter scoring for the Chargers got going when running back Austin Ekeler bulldozed his way into the end zone following a Titans missed field goal by Randy Bullock from 51 yards. The Chargers capitalized on Tennessee's missed opportunity, going six plays for 59 yards that ended with Ekeler punching it in for a 3-yard score.

The Titans, who were shut down for most of the game by the Chargers defense, found some rhythm late in the fourth quarter in which quarterback Ryan Tannehill went 6-of-6 for 55 yards on the team's final possession. The drive ended with running back Derrick Henry powering his way in for a 1-yard touchdown to tie the game with 48 seconds left.

However, Herbert proved that was too much time left on the clock for him to operate with. He had one final chance to work his late-game heroics and he did just that, completing 3-of-4 pass attempts for 57 yards to put the Chargers in field goal range with the chance to win it.

The play that sparked the final drive came on Herbert's third dropback of the series when pressure flushed him out of the pocket to the right side, and he delivered a strike to wide receiver Mike Williams for a 35-yard pickup.

"I would have loved to have the game go a different way and not have to be in that situation. But that's one of those things that we've been through," Herbert said on what he felt in that moment. "We practice two minute drives all the time in practice and all throughout training camp, and we know that we've got special receivers, a great offensive line blocking and Mike Williams goes out and makes plays."

Herbert's six-play, 52-yard drive that took 44 seconds, setup kicker Cameron Dicker with the opportunity to hit the game-winning 43-yard field goal with four seconds left in which he sent the kick through the uprights to seal it.

"He's done such an incredible job and even in practice, we've got so much confidence in him and the way he's stepped in," Herbert said of Dicker. "He's made his kicks and the way he's gone about it is a true professional. We trust him."

While the Chargers offense ultimately pulled it off when they needed points, the defense's performance was what kept them in the game. The Titans accounted for just 284 yards of total offense and were held to 3-of-11 on third down attempts.

"We're playing team defense," Staley said. "You're seeing all 11 players connected to the game plan, executing their assignment, their technique and their effort. I felt like we've played as hard as we've ever played since I've been here, on defense."

The Chargers defense brought a pass rush against the Titans that recorded four sacks, the most they've had in a game since Week 6. Drue Tranquill, Kyle Van Noy, Chris Rumph and Joe Gaziano all picked up one sack each.

"I thought we rushed the passer well, put a lot of pressure on the quarterback today," Staley said. "We made it tough on them in the run game and our guys really competed today. I thought that was the story of the game, was how our defense played."

Henry, one of the game's best rushers, had moments where he flashed, but the Chargers prevented him from ripping off long runs, with his biggest rushing attempt going for 13 yards. He finished the contest with 104 rushing yards and one touchdown.

After the game, Herbert praised the defense for hanging tough while the offense sputtered early on. Late in the fourth quarter, Herbert told the defensive players to just give him one more opportunity and he'll do the rest.

"I've got so much respect for our defense for coming up with big stops all game long. They played their tails off and did an incredible job," Herbert said. "We've got to be better as an offense."

The Chargers improved to a 8-6 record and have moved up two spots in the AFC playoff picture, now holding the No. 6 seed with the Dolphins and Patriots each losing.

"I think it's a great opportunity for us to keep playing football," Herbert said of the team's playoff standing. "There's a lot of football left and we're in a position where if we just attack it week-by-week, we'll see what happens but guys are excited to get back after it."

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