All this talk about the left hand Justin Herbertand Monday night reached my left leg Cameron Dicker – and both hands Tony Jefferson.
Dicker made five field goals and Jefferson made one. game-ending interception raise chargers to victory in overtime 22-19 over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Cam Hart threw a pass and Jefferson picked it off a yard from the end zone as the rest of the Chargers stormed the field.
It was the third straight loss for the defending Super Bowl champions and the fifth win in six games for the Chargers, who continue to have a strong heartbeat in the playoff race. They need to win one of their last four games to have a realistic chance of making the postseason.
The Chargers (9-4) are coming off an incredibly difficult stretch. They play in Kansas City and Dallas, come home for a game against Houston and finish in red-hot Denver.
They are led by Herbert, who played Monday just a week after surgery to repair a broken left arm. At times, he seemed to want his team to win against a team that bears little resemblance to the one that won the last Lombardi Trophy.
The winning kick was Dicker's 54-yard field goal, which forced overtime with a 46-yarder with eight seconds left in regulation.
Herbert, who was sacked a career-high seven times, didn't take half a step into the hole. On Monday night, he ran and ran and ran again, at one point even using his injured arm to pin a defender against the goalie. He became his team's best player after a week of speculation as to whether he would even be on the active roster.
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert tries to get rid of the ball after being sacked in the first half Monday.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Herbert finished with 10 carries for 66 yards. He threw for 139 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
The Chargers collected nine of their 16 first downs by running.
The game wasn't very pretty. Inglewood was closer to Fumblewood as both teams struggled with turnovers, including an interception and a fumble by Hurts. in the same play.
Ball security at Sophie Stadium was just a rumor as the Eagles (8-5) turned the ball over five times and the Chargers three.
Hurts was intercepted four times after just two picks in his first 12 games. In the second quarter, his pass up the middle was deflected by Da'Shawn Hand, who subsequently fumbled. Hurts recovered the ball, but it also fumbled and the Chargers eventually took possession.
Herbert took a number of brutal hits and resorted to using his right hand in the second half to send the ball into the stomach of his running backs when he would otherwise have used his left. His surgically repaired hand was protected by a thin bandage under the glove.
At the end of the game, he was sacked as many times in the second half (five) as he had completions. He was also unable to prevent his fall with his left hand, so he was thrown onto the lawn several times.
Once again Herbert demonstrated his toughness. And this is not a leftist compliment.
Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker (11) celebrates a 54-yard field goal in overtime against the Eagles at Sophie Stadium on Monday night.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
