Justin Herbert of the Chargers completed 20 of 32 passes for 279 yards and ran for 49 yards against the Saints last Sunday.
Charger's running back JK Dobbins and his teammates will travel to Cleveland to face the Browns this Sunday at 10 a.m.
The Chargers head to Cleveland this week to take on the Browns after a big 26-8 win over the New Orleans Saints at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on last Sunday. The victory improved the Chargers record to 4-3 on the season and put them back into the playoff picture. If the season ended today, the Chargers would be the 7th seed in the AFC playoffs.
The Chargers need to put together a winning streak and the schedule is favorable, starting this Sunday against the Browns. The Browns are 2-6 on the season, and coming off a shocking victory at home over the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens came in with a five-game winning streak. The Browns came in with a five-game losing streak. But in the NFL, anything is possible.
The Browns were averaging just 15.5 points per game, with a season high of 18 points. Against the Ravens with backup quarterback Jameis Winston, the Browns scored 29 points and had 401 yards in total offense in a 29-24 upset win.
The good news for the Chargers is that quarterback Justin Herbert is back. Through the first four games in the new Chargers offense, Herbert averaged 144 yards per game and the passing attack struggled. In the last three games, Herbert has averaged 288 yards per game, double what he averaged in the first four games.
For the season, Herbert has thrown eight touchdown passes and just one interception through seven games. Pro Football Focus (PFF) gave Herbert the highest grade of any NFL player in Week 8 with an offensive grade of 95.3.
Last Sunday against the Saints, the screen passing game was not working against the Saints, so Herbert started throwing downfield. Herbert tossed a 60-yard touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey in the middle of the third quarter, with the Chargers leading 9-5. McConkey caught it 30 yards downfield, taking it from Saints nickel back Alontae Taylor and weaving another 30 yards through Saints defenders for a touchdown.
A 45-yard-deep pass to Joshua Palmer setup a fourth quarter field goal, and a 24-yard beautiful pass-and-catch to wide receiver Jalen Reagor along the sidelines helped set up the final touchdown of the game for the Chargers, a nine-yard TD pass from Herbert to McConkey in the corner of the end zone, with Herbert rolling to his left on a third down and firing a bullet to McConkey that he somehow came down with the ball in-bounds. Herbert was singing the praises of McConkey after the game.
"He is a complete receiver," Herbert said. "To have that short game, those intermediate routes that he has been so good at, especially on third down, and now you open up some of those go-balls that you got to respect. For him to be able to line up anywhere, inside, outside, we have a true ballplayer on our hands."
Herbert had a 38-yard run in the second quarter to set up the Chargers first score, a 46-yard Cameron Dicker field goal to give the Chargers a 3-2 lead. The run, which included a hard hit by Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu along the sidelines, seemed to fire up the Chargers and Herbert. The run was one of five 20-yard plus plays on the day for the Chargers.
Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh was very pleased with the performance of the offense, starting with Herbert. "I thought it was very explosive by the offense, big plays," Harbaugh said. "Justin, of course, it is like being around greatness every day. I loved the run, that really sparked us."
Harbaugh continued, "I want to point out JK Scott, who had a tremendous game, not just a great game, I mean a tremendous game by him, flipping the field numerous times with some huge punts. Four quarters of really good football. Very pleased. Very proud."
For McConkey, it was the first time he has caught two touchdowns in a game in the NFL, but not the first time for him to catch two touchdown passes in a game at SoFi Stadium. On January 9, 2023, playing for the Georgia Bulldogs in the national championship game versus TCU at SoFi Stadium, McConkey caught two touchdown passes in a 65-7 win over TCU.
McConkey ended up with six catches for 111 yards. Herbert ended up completing 20 of 32 passes for 279 yards and rushed for 49 yards. The Saints were physical on defense, and they really pounded running back J.K. Dobbins, who finished with 57 hard-earned yards rushing on 17 carries and a one-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter.
The defense continues to perform at a high level. The Chargers defense is allowing just 13 points per game, which is the best in the NFL. They are 8th overall in defensive yardage allowed per game.
The Browns are suffering from a rash of injuries, with the latest to their leading tackler, linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who will miss the Chargers game with a neck injury. Cornerback Denzel Ward is in the concussion protocol and may not be available. Starting quarterback Deshaun Watson is out for the season with a torned Achilles injury.
The game against the Browns this Sunday, November 3, will start at 10:00 am locally and will be televised locally on KCBS Channel 2. The Chargers will play three consecutive home games following the Browns game, so a victory in Cleveland could set them up well to make the playoffs.
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