‘Improved’ Chargers find another way to lose — four turnovers in loss to Ravens
The Chargers got a glimpse of the top of the AFC on Sunday at SoFi Stadium and played better but still not good enough.
They hung tough and hung around before losing to Baltimore 20-10 on a night their defense showed vast improvement but their offense struggled.
The Chargers fell to 4-7 with their third consecutive loss. The Ravens improved to 9-3 and remained atop the conference.
Leading by three points, Baltimore put the game away on a 37-yard run by Zay Flowers with 1:36 to go.
Quarterback Justin Herbert finished 29 of 44 for 217 yards. Keenan Allen caught 14 passes for 106 yards. The Chargers committed all four of the game’s turnovers and finished with 279 total yards.
Chargers rally falls short
🏈 Ravens 20, Chargers 10 — end of fourth quarter
The Chargers started on their 25 with just 1:36 left looking to erase a 10-point deficit.
Justin Herbert passed to Keenan Allen for 21 yards. Herbert’s next deep pass to Allen slipped through his hands and fell incomplete. Broderick Washington then sacked Hebert for a loss of nine. Herbert tossed an incomplete pass on third and 19 and the Chargers were down to essentially their final chance with 1:01 left on the clock.
Herbert’s final pass toward Allen was short and the Chargers turned the ball over on downs.
The Ravens ran out the clock and sealed the struggling Chargers’ third consecutive loss. Although the final margin was 10 points, it was a single-score margin until the final minutes and felt much like five previous losses by seven points or fewer the Chargers recorded this season.
Ravens’ Zay Flowers scores touchdown, crushing Chargers’ rally
🏈 Ravens 20, Chargers 10 — 1:36 left in fourth quarter
The Ravens took over at the Chargers’ 44.
Lamar Jackson carried the ball for four yards and another three yards before Zay Flowers took the ball to the left side of the field and rumbled for a 37-yard touchdown. Justin Tucker hit the extra-point attempt to push the Ravens ahead by 10.
Chargers fail to convert on fourth down
🏈 Ravens 13, Chargers 10 — 1:57 left in fourth quarter
The Chargers trailed the Ravens by three points, got the ball at their 34-yard line and had 2:57 left in the fourth quarter.
Justin Herbert passed to Alex Erickson for 17 yards.
Herbert’s next pass to Erickson was incomplete. Herbert passed to Jalen Guyton for four yards and targeted Austin Eckler, but the pass was incomplete.
The Ravens brought pressure on fourth and six at the Baltimore 46, Hebert tried to get rid of the ball as he was hit by Arthur Maulet and the pass fell incomplete. He was called for intentional grounding and Baltimore got the ball back at the Chargers’ 44.
Ravens Justin Tucker misses a field goal
🏈 Ravens 13, Chargers 10 — 2:57 left in fourth quarter
It looked as if the Ravens were poised to match the Chargers touchdown for touchdown, but the Chargers did just enough to hold the Ravens scoreless.
The Ravens started on their 25 after a touchback.
Lamar Jackson passed to Gus Edwards for an 11-yard gain and Edwards ran for another five yards. Keaton Mitchell then ran to the right for a 12-yard gain.
The Ravens were called for a false start, but Jackson passed to Zay Flowers for six yards and to Mitchell for 11 yards, moving the ball to the Chargers’ 35.
Jackson ran for one yard, Mitchell ran for six and Justice Hill ran for two yards, setting up a Justin Tucker 44-yard field-goal attempt.
Tucker rarely misses and the errant boot shocked the Ravens’ sideline.
Justin Herbert leads quick Chargers touchdown drive
🏈 Ravens 13, Chargers 10 — 8:32 left in fourth quarter
The Chargers’ offense is awake and quickly rebounded from what seemed like a back-breaking turnover.
The Chargers’ defense forced the Ravens to go three-and-out after the turnover.
Justin Herbert returned to lead the offense after a visit to the medical tent.
The Chargers started at their 40-yard line. Herbert passed to Keenan Allen for seven yards before Herbert took off out of a collapsing pocket and ran for a 35-yard gain.
On first down at the Baltimore 18, Austin Eckler ran for six yards. Herbert then passed to Eckler for seven yards and Eckler ran up the middle for two yards.
On second and goal at the Baltimore three-yard line, Herbert tossed an incomplete pass to Jalen Guyton. Herbert then passed to Gerald Everett for a three-yard touchdown.
The Chargers’ Cameron Dicker hit the extra-point attempt to shave the Ravens’ lead to three points.
Long Chargers drive ends with Justin Hebert turnover
🏈 Ravens 13, Chargers 3 — 12:31 left in fourth quarter
After fumbles and miscues, the Chargers were quickly running out of time to make something happen on offense.
The team nearly delivered on a drive that spanned the third and fourth quarters, but the Ravens’ defense found a way to shut down the rally
The Chargers got off to a much stronger start on the drive than they had during previous possessions.
Justin Herbert connected with Keenan Allen for 14 yards. Herbert then quickly passed for another three-yard gain. Austin Eckler rumbled for eight yards and moved the ball to the Chargers’ 40.
Herbert passed to Allen for gains of six and three yards. After the Ravens broke up a pass play, the Chargers went for it on fourth and one and Eckler pushed ahead for two yards to extend the drive.
The Chargers faced a big challenge and needed a trick play to get out of trouble.
Herbert passed to Allen on the right sideline and he was dropped for a loss of two yards. On second and 12, Herbert’s pass to Quentin Johnston in traffic was broken up and Johnston was treated on the field after a hard hit. On third and 12, the Chargers were called for a false started.
On third and 17, Herbert passed short on the left side to Allen for a gain of nine yards. Allen then lateraled to Eckler for a 14-yard gain.
Baltimore challenged the play, but the first-down play was upheld.
After an incomplete pass, Herbert passed to Allen for nine yards and Eckler ran for another five.
With the ball at the Baltimore 25, Derius Davis ran for two yards. Herbert was called for delay of game for trying to change the play in response to the defense’s adjustment as time ran out in the third quarter.
On second and 13, Herbert passed for 10 yards. On third and three, Gerald Everett caught a pass for six yards and held onto it amid a hard hit by the Ravens’ defense.
Herbert passed to Eckler for a loss of four yards and he was fortunate to hold onto the ball. Herbert passed to Joshua Kelley for no gain.
On third and 14 at the Baltimore 16, Herbert was hit by Jadeveon Clowney and fumbled.
Clowney recovered the ball at the Baltimore 23.
After the sequence, Herbert headed to the injury tent after favoring his right arm after two bruising tackles during the drive.
Chargers’ defense picks up a stop
🏈 Ravens 13, Chargers 3 — 6:15 left in third quarter
After the Chargers’ offense went three-and-out, the defense immediately let Lamar Jackson run for eight yards and Keaton Mitchell run for another 29.
After an intentional grounding penalty, Jackson hit Nelson Agholor for a 21-yard gain.
Thanks to the penalty, the Ravens had to rely on running back Gus Edwards to convert on fourth-and-one.
The Ravens had the ball at the Chargers’ 39, but then started going backward. Jackson tossed two incomplete pass and connected on one for a loss of five yards, forcing the Ravens to punt.
Chargers limit Ravens to field goal to open third quarter
🏈 Ravens 13, Chargers 3 — 10:53 left in third quarter
The Ravens gashed the Chargers’ defense early in the first drive of the second half.
Lamar Jackson passed to Zay Flowers an 18-yard gain and Justice Hill ran for another 18, moving the ball to Chargers’ 29.
Then the Chargers’ defense tightened up pressure, forcing the Ravens to settle for a 48-yard Justin Tucker field goal.
Ravens add to lead with a field goal
🏈 Ravens 10, Chargers 3 — 1:12 left in second quarter
Justin Tucker’s 42-yard field goal stretched Baltimore’s lead to 10-3 over the Chargers with 1:12 remaining in the second quarter.
The Ravens took over at the Chargers’ 34-yard line after a fumble by wide receiver Keenan Allen.
Baltimore picked up one first down before the Chargers tightened up, Khalil Mack’s 12th sack of the season a key play in stalling the series.
The Ravens have dominated the first half, but the Chargers are hanging around, thanks in part to a fourth-down stop at their own 27-yard line just past the midway point of the second quarter.
Lamar Jackson tosses touchdown pass, Ravens claim lead in second quarter
🏈 Ravens 7, Chargers 3 — 9:03 left in second quarter
Baltimore took its first lead — 7-3 — on a three-yard touchdown pass from Lamar Jackson to Zay Flowers with 10:41 left in the first half.
The Ravens moved methodically and convincingly on the Chargers during the possession, which covered 78 yards in 12 plays.
Baltimore converted a third-and-nine to extend the drive when Jackson connected with Rashod Bateman for 12 yards.
Jackson has opened the game eight of 10 for 84 yards.
Cameron Dicker hits field goal on Chargers’ opening drive
🏈 Chargers 3, Ravens 0 — 9:03 left in first quarter
The Chargers took a 3-0 lead on Cameron Dicker’s 39-yard field goal that capped the game’s first drive.
The Chargers moved to the Baltimore six-yard line but were pushed back by an unnecessary roughness call on Jamaree Salyer.
The right guard was involved in a skirmish after a hit on quarterback Justin Herbert along the sideline. The hit appeared to be late, but the Ravens weren’t penalized.
Justin Herbert’s emotions spike in Green Bay; QB apologizes, other Chargers applaud
The throw was one of his most memorable Sunday, even though the ball traveled about one yard and straight into the Lambeau Field turf.
Justin Herbert’s flustered spike in reaction to a delay-of-game penalty marked an odd but notable career first.
“I’ve definitely seen him lose it in practice but never in a game,” said Chargers edge rusher Justin Hollins, who also played with Herbert at Oregon. “It’s nice to see the emotion, though. You know with Herb he always means well.”
The moment combusted with 7:40 remaining in the fourth quarter and the Chargers trailing the Packers 16-13. They had first and 10 at the Green Bay 22-yard line, and Herbert, lined up in the shotgun, was unable to get center Will Clapp to react in time.
Herbert repeatedly signaled and smacked his hands together as the stadium filled with noise and the play clock drained to zero. Clapp then snapped the ball and Herbert fired it into the ground before screaming in the direction of his veteran center.
For a guy who has thrown for 16,698 yards and 113 touchdowns for this franchise, Herbert never looked more like Philip Rivers than in that moment.
Coach Brandon Staley called it “a great thing,” Herbert showing the fiery leadership often displayed by NFL quarterbacks, none more so than Rivers during his 16 years with the Chargers.
Starter Gerald Everett is listed among Chargers’ active players
Starting tight end Gerald Everett is active for the Chargers tonight against Baltimore after being questionable because of a chest injury.
Wide receiver Jalen Guyton, who was questionable, also is active. Guyton has been dealing with a groin injury.
The Chargers’ inactives are running backs Elijah Dotson and Isaiah Spiller, safety AJ Finley, wide receiver Simi Fehoko, tight end Nick Vannett, defensive lineman Scott Matlock and offensive lineman Zack Bailey.
For the Ravens, wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. (shoulder) and Zay Flowers (hip) both are active
Chargers’ defensive leaders defend embattled coach Brandon Staley, vow to improve
Brandon Staley’s unyielding confidence — his burning belief in himself — drove him to where he is today.
He became an NFL coach after only one season as a coordinator and four years in the league because he so thoroughly was convinced this was his destiny.
That conviction now is threatening his future with the Chargers as he remains wholly committed to the schemes and play calling that so far have resulted in the NFL’s worst pass defense.
Staley is facing nearly daily calls for his job as his underachieving team skids into Week 12 on its third two-game losing streak this season.
“We know who he is,” veteran edge rusher Khalil Mack said. “We know his leadership and his capabilities and all those different things. It’s just up to us, as the players, to step in and win these close games.”
Ravens at Chargers matchups: How to watch, start time and prediction
Breaking down how the Chargers (4-6) and Ravens (7-3) match up heading into their game Sunday at 5:20 p.m. PST at SoFi Stadium. The game will be televised on NBC and Paramount+.
When Chargers have the ball
Justin Herbert was the NFL’s highest-graded quarterback of Week 11, based on Pro Football Focus’ analysis. His 21-for-36 performance against Green Bay included six dropped passes. Still, the Chargers had two possessions in the final three minutes trailing 23-20 and netted only five yards on nine plays. This offense also failed in game-ending situations against Miami and Dallas. Herbert did direct a late field-goal drive to force overtime at Tennessee in Week 2, but the Chargers eventually lost anyway. Baltimore doesn’t figure to make matters any more comfortable for Herbert. The Ravens lead the NFL in sacks and are second in points given up. Only two defenses have been stingier against the pass, helping Baltimore move into the AFC’s No. 1 playoff spot. Just one quarterback has thrown for more than 250 yards against this defense, and Detroit’s Jared Goff needed 53 attempts to reach 284 yards. Baltimore won, by the way, 38-6. Because of injuries and a ho-hum running game, the Chargers’ offense at times has been reduced to Herbert and receiver Keenan Allen, who at age 31 and in his 11th year is having his best season. He leads the league with 83 catches and is fourth with 1,011 yards.