ReportWire

Tag: Mike Williams

  • Herbert, short-handed defense lead Chargers past Fins 23-17

    Herbert, short-handed defense lead Chargers past Fins 23-17

    [ad_1]

    INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Justin Herbert threw for 367 yards and a touchdown and a short-handed Chargers defense got the best of the Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa as Los Angeles beat Miami 23-17 on Sunday night.

    The Chargers (7-6) moved into position for the final AFC playoff berth, ahead of the New York Jets. Their hold though would be short lived if New England beats Arizona on Monday night.

    “It was an incredible team win,” coach Brandon Staley said. “Defensively we answered all the challenges in the game that we had to face.

    “Justin was fantastic and definitely led the way for our team. He made a lot of winning plays and really made good decisions throughout the game.”

    Herbert — the sixth overall pick in 2020, one behind Tagovailoa — completed a career-high 39 passes on 51 attempts for his 21st 300-yard game. He became the first NFL quarterback to throw for 13,000 yards in his first three seasons.

    “There were a lot of good things from all three phases. The defense did an incredible job,” Herbert said.

    Tyreek Hill scored two touchdowns for the Dolphins, one of them on an improbable recovery of Jeff Wilson Jr.’s fumble that Hill took 57 yards to the end zone. But Tagovailoa had his worst game as an NFL starter, completing 10 of 28 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown as the Dolphins (8-5) lost their second straight.

    “They played to what they’re good at, and we just didn’t execute,” Tagovailoa said. “It was very disappointing for us to go out there as an offense and show what we showed. That’s not to our standard.”

    The Chargers held Miami to 219 yards despite not having safety Derwin James, cornerback Bryce Callahan and defensive lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day because of injuries. The Dolphins came in with the league’s top-ranked pass offense.

    LA’s offense was buoyed by the return of Mike Williams, who had missed four of the last five games with a high ankle sprain. Williams had six catches for 116 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown while getting both feet in bounds near the back of the end zone to extend the Chargers’ lead to 10-0 early in the second quarter.

    Austin Ekeler, who finished with 104 scrimmage yards, had a 1-yard run off left tackle with 18 seconds left in the quarter to extend the lead to 17-7.

    Keenan Allen added 12 receptions for 92 yards.

    Cameron Dicker kicked three field goals, including one from 29-yards that gave the Chargers a 23-14 advantage with 2:40 remaining. Dicker’s kick capped a 17-play, 79-yard drive that took 8:39 off the clock.

    Hill finished with four catches for 81 yards, including a 60-yard TD in the third quarter on Tagovailoa’s best throw of the night, and became the Dolphins’ single-season leader in receiving yards. Chargers cornerback Michael Davis slipped in coverage at the LA 40, allowing Hill to make an easy catch and saunter untouched to the end zone to get Miami within 17-14.

    Miami’s Jason Sanders booted a 55-yard field goal with 1:10 remaining, but Los Angeles recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock.

    “That’s hard to take. There’s a lot of investment, and it’s not good enough,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said. “I thought the defense played well enough for us to win. There’s stuff we can clean up, for sure. There’s a multitude of things.”

    SCOOP AND SCORE

    The Dolphins had 5 net yards and one first down on their first three possessions before finally getting on the scoreboard, thanks to Hill.

    On second-and-4 from the Miami 41, Wilson fumbled while tackled by Chargers safety Alohi Gilman during a 6-yard gain. There was a scramble for the loose ball until Hill picked it up, changed direction and quickly sprinted to his right and up the sideline.

    Hill became the only player in the Super Bowl era to score TDs via receiving, rushing, kick return, punt return and fumble return.

    RECORD BOOK

    Ekeler finished with eight receptions for 59 yards. His third catch moved him past Kansas City’s Kimble Anders (369) for the most by an undrafted running back in the common draft era. Ekeler now has 375 receptions in his six-year career.

    INJURIES

    Dolphins: Wilson suffered an ankle injury during the second quarter. Safety Eric Rowe had a hamstring injury in the third quarter.

    UP NEXT

    Dolphins: At Buffalo next Saturday night.

    Chargers: Host Tennessee next Sunday.

    ———

    AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP—NFL

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Herbert rallies Chargers to 25-24 win over Cardinals

    Herbert rallies Chargers to 25-24 win over Cardinals

    [ad_1]

    GLENDALE, Ariz. — Los Angeles Chargers coach Brandon Staley knew he was going for the winning 2-point conversion a few minutes before it actually happened, so when the moment arrived, there was no hesitation and no looking at his playbook.

    The result was even better than he imagined.

    “Smooth like chocolate milk,” Staley said with a grin.

    Justin Herbert threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Austin Ekeler with 15 seconds left, then hit Gerald Everett for the decisive conversion to give the Los Angeles Chargers a 25-24 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

    Ekeler barely got into the end zone for the TD that moved the Chargers within one, capping a seven-play, 38-yard drive that lasted 1:33. The ball hit the pylon as he dived toward the corner.

    That set up Staley’s bold if predetermined call. Herbert hit Everett for a clean catch despite plenty of traffic near the goal line.

    “We just believed in each other,” Herbert said. “That’s one of those plays that we’ve repped a ton over the last couple of years. We feel comfortable with the guys out there. Gerald ran a great route, made a great catch.”

    Herbert completed 35 of 47 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns for the Chargers (6-5), who snapped a two-game skid while staying in the thick of the AFC playoff race. Arizona (4-8) has lost four of five, leaving it with almost no shot at making the NFC playoff field.

    Herbert now has led 10 fourth-quarter comebacks in his three seasons. But with opportunities to win the past two weeks in similar situations, the Chargers fell short.

    “That’s what it’s like when you’re a quarterback in the NFL,” Staley said. “You’re not going to make every 2-minute drive, but the thing he has going for him is that our entire organization believes he’s going to make it. He brought us back, game ball for him.

    “Big-time performance. We couldn’t have won without him.”

    The Chargers have trailed by 10 or more points at some point in the first half in each of their last four victories. They were down 14-0 against Cleveland and 10-0 against Denver, Atlanta and Arizona.

    The Cardinals took a 24-17 lead early in the fourth quarter when Kyler Murray threw a short pass to James Conner for a 6-yard touchdown. The veteran running back had 25 carries for 120 yards, his first 100-yard rushing game in two seasons with the Cardinals.

    Murray threw for 191 yards, two touchdowns and an interception and ran for a score after missing the previous two games with a hamstring injury.

    Arizona got some big defensive stops in the fourth quarter but the offense couldn’t run out the clock. The Cardinals got the ball back with 2:19 left, but went three-and-out in just 31 seconds.

    DeAndre Carter had a 20-yard punt return, and a 5-yard penalty set up the Chargers deep in Cardinals territory for the winning drive.

    “We had our chances,” Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury said. “I think both teams played well enough to win. They made the plays at the end, unfortunately we didn’t. Our offense got it back twice — went three-and-out — can’t do that against a good team.”

    Arizona took a 17-14 lead into halftime when Murray ran for a 5-yard touchdown just before the break, capping a 14-play, 75-yard drive.

    The Cardinals had their top two receivers, DeAndre Hopkins and Marquise Brown, on the field for the first time this season. Arizona jumped to a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter when Murray threw a pass over the middle to Hopkins, who spun out of a tackle and sprinted to the end zone for a 33-yard touchdown.

    Matt Prater’s 43-yard field goal on the Cardinals’ next drive made it 10-0.

    The Chargers quickly cut that margin midway through the second quarter when Herbert threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Keenan Allen.

    After Murray was intercepted, Herbert found Carter for a 33-yard touchdown and a 14-10 lead. Carter finished with seven catches for 73 yards along with the key punt return.

    INJURIES

    Chargers: WR Mike Williams (ankle) was inactive. … RT Trey Pipkins III (knee) and C Corey Linsley (concussion) left the game in the second quarter.

    Cardinals: WR Greg Dortch (thumb), WR Rondale Moore (groin) and CB Byron Murphy Jr. (back) were inactive. … Arizona was missing four out its five starting offensive linemen. Left tackle D.J. Humphries (back) was put on injured reserve earlier this week.

    UP NEXT

    Chargers: At Las Vegas next Sunday.

    Cardinals: After a bye, host New England on Monday, Dec. 12.

    ———

    AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP—NFL

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Kelce scores 3 touchdowns, Chiefs rally past Chargers 30-27

    Kelce scores 3 touchdowns, Chiefs rally past Chargers 30-27

    [ad_1]

    INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce ended up putting on a performance that made The Fonz proud.

    Mahomes connected with Kelce for three touchdowns — including the go-ahead score with 31 seconds remaining — as the Kansas City Chiefs rallied past the Los Angeles Chargers 30-27 on Sunday night to stay atop the AFC.

    Mahomes met Emmy Award-winning actor Henry Winkler before the game. Winkler, who played Fonzie for 12 seasons on the iconic television show “Happy Days”, received a signed jersey on the sideline. Kelce got in the act by wearing a t-shirt before the game that had a picture of The Fonz and said “Football. Family. Fonzie”.

    When Mahomes and the Chiefs got the ball at the KC 25-yard line with 1:46 remaining, he had his usual cool and calm presence.

    “When I went in the huddle, it was let’s just do it. Everyone had the mindset of take it one play at a time and get it when it counts,” said Mahomes, completed 20 of 34 passes for 329 yards.

    After the Chargers had pulled ahead 27-23 on Justin Herbert’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Joshua Palmer with 1:46 left, Mahomes directed a six-play, 75-yard drive that took just 1:15.

    It was the 11th time in the regular-season that Mahomes had a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter.

    Despite missing two receivers due to injuries, he completed 3 of 4 for 48 yards on the drive and scrambled twice for an additional 22.

    The Chiefs also benefitted from a third-down holding call on Chargers’ safety Derwin James after an incomplete pass.

    After a 16-yard run by Mahomes and Kansas City timeout, Mahomes hit Kelce on a short crossing route that Kelce took to the end zone for a 17-yard touchdown,

    “We didn’t have our full arsenal of weapons. I was ready for the matchup,” said Kelce, who had six catches for 115 yards. “I knew they were going to play man-to-man and Patrick was going to look for me when it was 1-on-1. I was able to finish the game off on a positive note.”

    Herbert and the Chargers had one final chance, but Nick Bolton intercepted a deflected pass to seal it for the Chiefs (8-2), who swept the season series from Los Angeles (5-5) and took a three-game lead in the AFC West.

    It is the third straight year the Chargers have had a late lead at home against the Chiefs and were unable to finish.

    “You should be frustrated. To not beat those guys is disappointing because we felt like our level was good enough to win, but we didn’t finish plays in that fourth quarter to get it done,” Staley said after Los Angeles lost its second straight to fall to 5-5.

    With a one-game lead over four teams in the conference, Kansas City is in position to claim home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

    Kelce scored at least three touchdowns for the second time in his career. He scored four in a Monday night win over the Raiders on Oct. 10.

    Chiefs rookie Isiah Pacheco rushed for a career-high 107 yards.

    “Patrick and Travis calm everything down on both sides of the ball. The good players really stepped up when we needed it,” coach Andy Reid said. “I’m proud of our guys for stepping up offensively and defensively. That’s big-time football at the right time.

    Herbert went 23 of 30 for 280 yards and two touchdowns, both to Palmer, who had eight receptions for 106 yards. It was easily the Chargers’ best offensive performance in nearly a month as the unit was bolstered by the return of receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.

    Allen, playing only his third game due to a nagging hamstring injury, had five receptions for 94 yards, including a 46-yard catch up the right sideline on the go-ahead drive to put the ball on the Chiefs 16-yard line.

    “Mike (Williams) is about as tough as it gets, and Keenan (Allen), too. They’re special competitors, so any time that you get those guys out on the field, something good is going to happen. But, unfortunately, it didn’t go our way today,” Herbert said.

    Austin Ekeler had 100 yards (83 rushing, 17 receiving) and a touchdown.

    KELCE’S RECORD NIGHT

    It was Kelce’s 34th game with at least 100 yards receiving, surpassing Rob Gronkowski for the most by a tight end in NFL history. Eight of his 11 TDs this season have come in prime-time games.

    Kelce gave Kansas City a 13-10 lead early in the second quarter on a 4-yard screen pass where he imitated Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders’ high-skipping dance on his way to the end zone.

    Kelce’s 32-yard touchdown on the opening play of the fourth quarter put the Chiefs on top 23-20. Kelce caught the ball at the LA 26 after Asante Samuel Jr. made a diving attempt, broke a tackle by Nasir Adderley at the 16 and went up the right sideline for the score.

    QUICK START

    After Harrison Butker’s 33-yard field goal on the opening possession gave the Chiefs a 3-0 lead, the Charges promptly answered on their first drive in three plays. Palmer beat Juan Thornhill in single coverage and Herbert found him for a 50-yard touchdown.

    It was the first time in 20 regular-season games that Kansas City had allowed a touchdown on an opening drive.

    INJURIES

    Chiefs: RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire suffered an ankle injury in the first quarter, Thornhill had a calf injury in the second quarter and WR Kadarius Toney strained a hamstring in the third quarter. None returned to the game.

    Chargers: Williams’ return was short-lived. He reinjured his ankle after a 15-yard reception in the first quarter. … LB Kenneth Murray came out in the third quarter with a neck injury. … S Nasir Adderley had a thumb injury in the fourth quarter.

    UP NEXT

    Chiefs: Host the Los Angeles Rams next Sunday.

    Chargers: Return to the road to face the Arizona Cardinals next Sunday.

    ———

    AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP—NFL

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Chargers rule out Keenan Allen, 5 others vs. Falcons

    Chargers rule out Keenan Allen, 5 others vs. Falcons

    [ad_1]

    COSTA MESA, Calif. (AP) — Justin Herbert is about to get a crash course in playing a game without his top two receivers.

    The Los Angeles Chargers ruled out Keenan Allen for Sunday’s game at Atlanta due to continuing problems with his hamstring. Allen said he experienced a setback last week while doing a workout and didn’t practice all week.

    Mike Williams suffered an ankle injury in the Oct. 23 loss to Seattle and is expected to miss at least the next three games.

    Joshua Palmer and DeAndre Carter are expected to start in Allen and Williams’ place, but even that isn’t assured. Palmer came out of concussion protocol earlier this week and has been a full participant in practices, but Carter is questionable due to illness.

    “It’s just tough losing guys that we think really highly of. We think really highly of the guys behind them and they have done a great job stepping up all throughout camp and all throughout the season, so far,” Herbert said. “We’re going to do our best to get them the ball and hopefully make things happen.”

    Michael Bandy and Jason Moore are also on the roster with the possibility that Joe Reed or Keelan Doss could be elevated from the practice squad.

    With injuries impacting the receiver group, Austin Ekeler leads NFL running backs with 53 receptions. It is only the third time a running back has at least 50 catches through his team’s first seven games.

    Ekeler could become the first running back in NFL history to have three straight games with double-digit receptions if he has at least 10 against the Falcons.

    Four more players have also been ruled out, including tight end Donald Parham (hamstring), linebacker Chris Rumph II (knee), kicker Dustin Hopkins (hamstring) and defensive tackle Jerry Tillery (back).

    With Hopkins and backup Taylor Bertolet both sidelined, Cameron Dicker will handle kicking duties. Dicker will be the 13th kicker used by the Chargers since they moved to Los Angeles in 2017.

    Despite the injuries, the Chargers are 4-3 as they begin a stretch where four of their next five games are on the road.

    ___

    AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL

    [ad_2]

    Source link