Chargers are knocking on door to playoffs

Dennis J. Freeman
4 min readDec 3, 2024

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Chargers are knocking on door to playoffs

By all accounts the Los Angeles Chargers had no business winning their football game against the Atlanta Falcons. They won anyway.

“You just can’t go out and turn the football over four times and expect to win a football game,” Atlanta head coach Raheem Morris said. “There will be a lot of things to go back and correct. There will be a lot of things to go back do. We’ve got to find ways to win games like that. We’ve got to find ways to win those in spite of or regardless of what happens.”

The Chargers could generate 10 first downs for the entire game. Quarterback Justin Herbert had a pedestrian 147 yards passing after completing 16 of 23 passes.

Los Angeles Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins rushed for 56 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries to help lead his team to a 34-27 win against the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California on Nov. 17, 2024.

Los Angeles Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins rushed for 56 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries to help lead his team to a 34–27 win against the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California on Nov. 17, 2024. Photo credit: Melinda Meijer/News4usonline

The Chargers accounted for less than 200 yards (187 yards) offensively and converted just 3 of 11 third-down attempts. On top of that, the Chargers’ rushing attack managed 56 yards on the ground. And yet, the Chargers escaped with a 17–13 against the Falcons on the road.

The Chargers came up victorious because of the stalwart effort of their defense. The Chargers picked off Atlanta quarterback Kirk Cousins four times, including delivering a pick-six touchdown to enable Los Angeles to win its eighth game (8–4) of the season.

“Obviously, disappointing outcome, disappointing play,” Cousins said. “I look to myself and say I’ve got to play better. It hurts when you feel like your defense played winning football, you feel like your special teams made big plays, felt like the run game did a solid job. I’ve got to play better, and so take responsibility.”

For a team that placed its leading rusher on the injured reserve list before the game against the Falcons, the Chargers got the win unconventionally. Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh will take it.

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert rushed for 65 yards on five carries to lead his team to a 34-27 win against the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California on Nov. 17, 2024. Herbert also passed for 297 yards and two touchdowns in the victory.

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert rushed for 65 yards on five carries to lead his team to a 34–27 win against the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California on Nov. 17, 2024. Herbert also passed for 297 yards and two touchdowns in the victory. Photo credit: Melinda Meijer/News4usonline

“It’s a beautiful thing we’re witnessing,” Harbaugh said after the game. “Complementary, winning football. Yeah, there were times that we weren’t at our best offensively. And then, you know, that two-point conversion is, that’s as big as any two-point conversion you could have in a game.”

“It made all the difference at the end. We were at our best when our best was needed most. You know, it was as good as a two-point conversion that wins a game where you’re down one and you go for two. I mean, that made all the difference there. But, the defense was incredible,” he added.

What the Chargers did well against Cousins and the Falcons was come up with timely defensive plays. Atlanta still managed to gain 350 yards in total offense and produced 24 first downs to LA’s 10. But Tarheeb Still’s 61-yard interception return in the third quarter. Still had two interceptions in the game.

“He’s been just so locked in,” Harbaugh said. “The thing that impresses me the most is how locked in he is for a young player. I mean, they can get a little drifty, just in their preparation as the season goes on. But he has been locked in. Cool as the other side of the pillow, as Stuart Scott used to say, he’s been tremendous.”

While the Chargers’ defense is playing up to its capabilities, the offensive unit has struggled the last two games to stay on the field. Coincidently, the lack of offensive cohesiveness could be from the fact that the Chargers don’t have J.K. Dobbins.

Dobbins suffered a knee injury in a loss to the Baltimore Ravens and was placed on injured reserve. He is expected to miss at least four games.

“The next man up, and we can be better,” Harbaugh remarked. “We can be better in the run game. When our best was needed, we got our best. I’m still very fired up about that two-point conversion because that really was huge, as huge as any two-point conversion you could ever get in a football game.”

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Dennis J. Freeman
Dennis J. Freeman

Written by Dennis J. Freeman

The storyteller. More than a journalist. I write about sports and social justice. Editor of News4usonline.com and Black Sports United. Howard University alum.

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