J.K. Dobbins scores in final seconds to lift Chargers to thrilling win over Bengals

J.K. Dobbins could have played it safe. The Chargers could have settled for a game-winning field goal. During a timeout with 26 seconds remaining in a tie game against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Chargers running back took a different tack.

Center Bradley Bozeman told him: “Go score.�

So Dobbins did, breaking the Chargers out of an offensive malaise with a 29-yard, game-winning touchdown run that gave them a 34-27 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.

The deficiencies that led to a blown 21-point lead suddenly melted away as Dobbins pounded his chest and sprinted around the back of the end zone toward the Chargers sideline. The euphoria remained when coach Jim Harbaugh began his press conference.

� Chargers 34, Bengals 27 — FINAL

J.K. Dobbins scored on a 29-yard touchdown run with 18 seconds left to thrust the Chargers back into the lead to cap a blistering last-gasp trek to the end zone by the Chargers.

Looking to protect the ball after getting into field-goal range, Dobbins got past the line and broke multiple tackles before diving into the end zone to cap a four-play, 84-yard drive.

A phenomenal effort from the Chargers’ defense forced Joe Burrow and the Bengals to go three and out, putting the ball back in Herbert’s hands with 35 seconds left and two timeouts.

Herbert then connected on a 28-yard pa’ss to rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey. Three plays later, he found McConkey again on a 27-yard out-route to put the Chargers into field-goal range at the Cincinnati 29.

The Bengals tried to come back one last time, with Burrow connecting on a 27-yard pass to wide receiver Andrei Iosivas with 10 seconds left. Burrow’s Hail Mary throw as time expired was batted down by Derwin James Jr.

Herbert completed 17 of 36 passes for 297 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 65 yards, but fumbled the ball on one of his five carries.

McConkey made six catches for 123 yards and Will Dissly had 80 yards on four catches.

Burrow completed 28 of 50 passes for 356 yards and three touchdowns. Ja’Marr Chase caught seven passes for 75 yards and two touchdown passes for Cincinnati. Tee Higgins had 148 yards and a touchdown on nine catches.

The Chargers won their fourth consecutive game to improve to 7-3. The Bengals fell to 4-7.

� Bengals 27, Chargers 27 — 1:48 left in the fourth quarter

Evan McPherson missed another field-goal attempt, this time on a 51-yard try that sailed wide left again to keep it tied.

The play came at the end of a nine-play, 46-yard drive that included Joe Burrow connecting on passes of 13 and 21 yards.

Despite being handed a chance to win the game, Justin Herbert and the Chargers went three and out on the ensuing possession — the Chargers have punted on their last three possessions. Herbert has seven consecutive incompletions.

� Bengals 27, Chargers 27 — 7:31 left in the fourth quarter

Evan McPherson missed a 48-yard field-goal attempt for the Bengals, keeping it tied.

The wide-left kick came after a 10-play, 56-yard drive that included Joe Burrow breaking off a 14-yard run.

Chargers defensive tackle Otito Ogbonnia drew a roughing the passer penalty on a play when safety Alohi Gilman picked off a pass from Burrow, negating the interception.

The Chargers couldn’t capitalize on the decent field position, going three and out on the ensuing possession.

Oh, and the NFL decided to announce in the middle of the fourth quarter that Beyoncé is doing the halftime show for the Baltimore Ravens-Houston Texans game on Christmas Day.

� Bengals 27, Chargers 27 — 12:21 left in the fourth quarter

Ja’Marr Chase beat double coverage to catch a 17-yard touchdown pass from Joe Burrow to tie the score in a remarkable Cincinnati comeback in front of a stunned SoFi Stadium crowd.

Burrow started the drive by connecting on a 34-yard pass to Chase Brown after avoiding being sacked. Burrow found Brown again on a 14-yard pass play the Chargers were flagged on for having too many players on field (the penalty was declined). Two plays later, the Bengals were back in the end zone.

The Bengals have scored 21 unanswered points after trailing 27-6 early in the third quarter. Chase’s second touchdown of the game capped a seven-play, 71-yard drive off a Justin Herbert fumble.

Chargers rookie cornerback Cam Hart has been ruled out with a concussion and linebacker Denzel Perryman is questionable to return with a groin injury.

� Chargers 27, Bengals 20 — 14:21 left in the fourth quarter

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Justin Herbert loses the ball on a fumble, giving the Bengals the ball at their 31-yard line.

Just before Herbert went down after a seven-yard run, Cincinnati linebacker Logan Wilson dislodged the ball with his shin and safety Geno Stone recovered the fumble and ran six yards before going out of bounds.

On the next play, Joe Burrow connected on a 34-yard pass to Chase Brown.

� Chargers 27, Bengals 20 — 2:53 left in the third quarter

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow connected on a 42-yard touchdown pass to a wide open Tee Higgins to make it a one-score game late in the third quarter.

Higgins managed to break away from coverage and was left wide open in the middle of the field for Burrow to find. The touchdown ended a four-play, 50-yard drive.

Little has gone right for the Chargers in the third quarter. Justin Herbert was sacked on third down by Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson and Joseph Ossai. In addition, cornerback Cam Hart is being evaluated for a head injury.

� Chargers 27, Bengals 13 — 5:27 left in the third quarter

Ja’Marr Chase caught a four-yard touchdown pass on fourth down as Joe Burrow eluded a Chargers’ blitz to give the Bengals a critical touchdown.

The pass capped an 11-play, 70-yard drive that quickly got to the red zone before the Chargers’ defense made life difficult again. The Bengals got to the three-yard-line before they were eventually pushed back to the nine. Chase Brown caught a four-yard pass before the touchdown.

Burrow has completed 16 of 26 passes for 152 yards so far. Tee Higgins has five catches for 66 yards and Chase has five catches for 53 yards.

� Chargers 27, Bengals 6 — 10:40 left in the third quarter

Cameron Dicker kicked a 53-yard field goal to add to the Chargers’ lead early in the second half.

A 19-yard pass from Justin Herbert to Ladd McConkey helped fuel the seven-play, 24-yard drive.

The Chargers went three and out on the opening possession of the second half, as did the Bengals after they got the ball.

� Chargers 24, Bengals 6 — HALFTIME

Cameron Dicker kicked a 19-yard field goal on the final play of the first half to give the Chargers a commanding lead at the break.

The Chargers could have tacked on another touchdown after a roughing the passer penalty on Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson coupled with a 24-yard pass to Will Dissly put the Chargers on the Cincinnati five-yard line with 13 seconds left.

But Justin Herbert failed to connect on two passes and the Chargers opted to go for a field-goal try on third down as time expired rather than risk coming up empty.

Justin Herbert had a strong first half, connecting on 10 of 14 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 58 yards in four carries as the Chargers scored on four of their five possessions.

Dissly has three catches for 73 yards and a touchdown. Quentin Johnston has two catches for 48 yards and a touchdown.

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow completed 12 of 17 passes for 111 yards in the first half. Ja’Marr Chase has four catches for 49 yards so far.

The Chargers’ defense has made life difficult for Burrow, recording three sacks.

� Chargers 21, Bengals 6 — 4:35 left in the second quarter

J.K. Dobbins went soaring over the top to score a one-yard touchdown on fourth down, extending the Chargers’ lead late in the second quarter.

A roughing the passer penalty on Bengals defensive tackle B.J. Hill inside the 10 helped the Chargers’ cause.

What also helped? A 30-yard scramble by Justin Herbert that earned him a serenade of “MVP!� chants from the SoFi Stadium crowd. Herbert has 50 yards in two carries so far.

Herbert has completed seven of eight passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns.

The Bengals went three and out on the prior possession, with Tuli Tuipulotu sacking Joe Burrow on third down.

� Chargers 14, Bengals 6 — 11:02 left in the second quarter

Justin Herbert made an incredible 26-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Quentin Johnston to extend the Chargers’ lead early in the second quarter.

Herbert made the cross-body throw while pulling up in the pocket.

The play capped a four-play, 71-yard drive that once again exploited miscues in the Cincinnati secondary. Herbert completed a 22-yard pass to Johnston at the start of the drive, then found tight end Will Dissly for 20 yards on the next play.

Herbert has completed all six of his passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns so far. Dissly has two catches for 49 yards and Johnson two catches for 48 yards.

� Chargers 7, Bengals 6 — 12:54 left in the second quarter

Evan McPherson kicked his second field goal of the game — this time a 27-yarder — to cut into the Chargers’ lead early in the second quarter.

The field goal capped an 11-play, 57-yard drive that sputtered in the red zone again after Joe Burrow threw an incomplete pass on third down.

Earlier in the drive, the Bengals converted on fourth and one off an eight-yard catch by Tee Higgins. However, the wide receiver sustained an injury on the play and went immediately to the sideline medical tent while holding his lower back.

Chargers rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey, who sustained a shoulder injury in the first quarter, returned to game in the second quarter.

� Chargers 7, Bengals 3 — 3:34 left in the first quarter

Justin Herbert flung a 29-yard touchdown pass to Will Dissly to cap a speedy, five-play, 70-yard drive that included a 20-yard run by Herbert.

Herbert managed to find Dissly just outside the end zone after the tight end found an opening in the Cincinnati secondary before it could collapse.

It wasn’t all good news for the Chargers on the possession. Rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey went down awkwardly after making a 20-yard catch and went straight to the sideline medical tent.

� Bengals 3, Chargers 0 — 6:27 left in the first quarter

The Bengals had to settle for a 26-yard field goal from Evan McPherson after a stingy Chargers defense coupled with costly penalties prevented Cincinnati from scoring.

After the Bengals drove to the Chargers’ three-yard line, illegal motion and intentional grounding penalties on consecutive plays pushed the Bengals back. Burrow was called for intentional grounding just before he would have been sacked by Joey Bosa.

Burrow connected with wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase for 32 yards on the first play of the drive. A 13-yard personal foul penalty on Derwin James Jr. for a horse-collar tackle on Bengals running back Chase Brown moved the Bengals into the red zone.

� Bengals 0, Chargers 0 — 10:17 left in the first quarter

The Chargers went three and out on their first possession after being stymied for no gain on two runs after running back Gus Edwards picked up eight yards on first down.

Chargers cornerback Cam Hart broke up a pass intended for Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins to end the Bengals’ first possession at midfield. Hart came up limping after the play and went to the sideline medical tent.

Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh lost a challenge on an eight-yard pass from Joe Burrow to wide receiver Jermaine Burton 42 seconds into the game.

He’s not just the prototypical passer. To Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh, dual-threat quarterback isn’t even the right classification for what Justin Herbert can do.

“Justin could play tight end in the National Football League,� Harbaugh said. “He could be an edge rusher. He could do all those things because of his speed, strength, his agility, his athleticism. It’s off the charts.�

Outside linebacker Khalil Mack (groin) is inactive for the Chargers’ prime-time matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. The star edge rusher was limited to just four snaps in last week’s win over the Tennessee Titans because of the injury he said was unlike anything he’s ever experienced.

He said Thursday he injured the left side of his groin early in a game against the Cleveland Browns. He kept playing and then later pulled the right side while trying to rush the passer. He then sat down on the bench late in the fourth quarter. Mack has not practiced in the last two weeks, but said Thursday he hoped he could play Sunday because he wants to help take the load off his edge rushing teammates Tuli Tuipulotu and Bud Dupree.

“If I could go, I’m gonna be out there,� Mack said. “I know Tuli was still on special teams and all those different things. So I was trying to do my best to be a good teammate.�

Despite Mack and fellow starting edge rusher Joey Bosa dealing with an injury, Tuipulotu and Dupree have helped the pass rush break through for 13 sacks in the past two games. Tuipulotu has 4½ sacks in the past two games and 5½ in the last three games after beginning the season with a six-game sackless streak.

Bosa, who has been on a snap count of about 20-30 since injuring his hip in Week 3, said Friday he could increase his workload to more than 30 against the Bengals after his best week of practice in months.

Receiver D.J. Chark Jr., who had just one offensive snap last week in a quiet, long-awaited season debut after dealing with hip and groin injuries, is also inactive. He was not on the injury report this week.

Tight end Hayden Hurst, running back Kimani Vidal, offensive linemen Brenden Jaimes and Jordan McFaddan and quarterback Easton Stick round out the inactive list for the Chargers. Here are the inactives for the Bengals:

Eyebrows raise. Eyes dart back and forth. Heads cock to the side.

When Jim Harbaugh starts talking, Chargers players never quite know how to react.

“It’s like a really fun wild roller coaster,� quarterback Taylor Heinicke said, “that comes with a cool ending.�

Justin Herbert is still beloved in his hometown of Eugene, Ore. The feeling is mutual for the quarterback who starred in three sports at Sheldon High before he won the Rose Bowl at Oregon and became NFL star with the Chargers.

The quarterback is still repping his hometown roots, sporting an “Irish Fishing Club� T-shirt during his news conference after last week’s win over the Tennessee Titans.

Now Scott Wright’s phone won’t stop buzzing with students asking the fishing club adviser for the same shirt.

“It’s the biggest thing in the world around here because everyone wants to be a part of something that Justin’s a part of,� said Wright, a longtime football and baseball assistant coach who coached Herbert in both sports.

A decade after Herbert helped found the fishing club, it is “thriving,� Wright said, in part because of the 26-year-old’s continued support. The quarterback who signed a $262-million contract extension last year covers costs for students who need assistance purchasing a fishing license or equipment.

“He’s given back, so it’s just a neat thing,� Wright said. “We love it. We kind of take pride in the lakes and rivers and the outdoor stuff out here in the Pacific Northwest.�

Herbert’s exceptional play in recent weeks has provided a positive platform for the fishing club’s moment in the spotlight. The quarterback has the Chargers (6-3) on a three-game winning streak entering Sunday night’s prime-time matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals. Herbert has notched a passer rating better than 90.0 in nine straight games.

Since returning from the off week, which allowed him to rest his sprained ankle, Herbert has averaged 256.2 yards passing while completing 66.7% of his attempts. He has six passing touchdowns and one rushing score to no passes intercepted.

Are the Chargers as good as their 6-3 record suggests?

Are the Rams better than the team that muddled through an ugly Monday night loss to Miami?

They call him the best receiver in the NFL. They say he’s always open. Whatever praise has been heaped upon Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase, Chargers cornerback Kristian Fulton already has heard — and seen — it firsthand.

The childhood friends, high school teammates and national champions at Louisiana State will line up against each other Sunday at SoFi Stadium as the Chargers host the Cincinnati Bengals in a prime-time game.

Jim Harbaugh previously had said he would never use the word “satisfied� when talking about football.

In that case, where did the first-year coach think the Chargers had to improve, especially when considering the caliber of teams they will play over the next five weeks?

Harbaugh’s team had just claimed a 27-17 victory over the Tennessee Titans at SoFi Stadium on Sunday to improve to 6-3. They remained the only team in the NFL to hold each of its opponents to 20 points or less.

The Chargers picked up a third consecutive win Sunday, overpowering the Tennessee Titans 27-17.

What we learned:

A November to remember

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (1) will test the Chargers’ defense.

(Brett Carlsen / Associated Press)

The Chargers’ six wins all have come against teams with records of .500 or less. They had no trouble shutting down offenses led by rookie quarterbacks still adjusting to the NFL or journeyman veterans. Many still look at the NFL’s top-ranked scoring defense with a skeptical eye.

The Cincinnati Bengals carved up the Baltimore Ravens for 470 yards last week. Ja’Marr Chase caught three touchdown passes. Joe Burrow had season highs in completions, passing attempts and yards passing.

What did Jesse Minter think when he turned on the tape to see that kind of performance?

The deep sigh the Chargers defensive coordinator released to begin his answer said more than any of the words that followed.