Justin Herbert played like he has a real case to be considered an MVP frontrunner as the Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Chargers engaged in one of the best NFL games of the season in a back-and-forth AFC showdown Sunday at SoFi Stadium.
Herbert scored five total touchdowns and threw for a career-high 398 yards to lead the Chargers to a 47-42 shootout win over the Browns at home. The former Oregon Ducks star and Oregon native completed 26-of-43 passes on the day with four touchdowns through the air, one of them a 72-yard bomb to wide receiver Mike Williams. He also rushed for a 9-yard score in the third quarter.
Herbert was composed and generated a late fourth quarter drive for the Chargers that resulted in an eventual game-winning 3-yard touchdown rush from running back Austin Ekeler with 1:31 left. Ekeler was pushed into the end zone by Browns defenders to set Cleveland up with a chance to potentially win. They were unable to capitalize on the ensuing possession after Baker Mayfield’s Hail Mary on fourth down fell incomplete.
The Chargers were initially driving to attempt a game-winning field goal after their defense forced a Browns punt. Los Angeles did everything to stay out of the end zone until Ekeler was pushed over in one of the more bizarre plays of the season. That put the Chargers up 47-42 and the score stayed that way after a failed two-point conversion.
For Cleveland, running back Nick Chubb rushed for 161 yards on the ground with a touchdown. Mayfield went 23-for-32 for 306 yards and two touchdowns opposite of Herbert.
The fourth quarter of Sunday’s game totaled six touchdowns from both teams.
Over his last three games, Herbert has been on fire under center for Los Angeles. Herbert has gone 71-of-113 passing for 788 yards with 10 touchdowns and no interceptions.
Here’s what the sports world had to say about Herbert after he put together another gigantic performance:
The Chargers are now 4-1 on the season. They have won three consecutive games.
- Aron Yohannes
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