A dropped pass. Then a missed tackle. Ultimately a 51-yard touchdown by the Baltimore Ravens that spelled the end of the Chargers’ four-game winning streak.
Searching for an opportunity to establish themselves as legitimate playoff threats, the Chargers instead found mistakes and another anemic second-half offense in a 30-23 loss to the Ravens on Monday at SoFi Stadium.
The Ravens (8-4) rushed for 212 yards, a season-high for a Chargers opponent, led by 140 from Derrick Henry. Instead of the towering 6-foot-3 Henry, however, it was Justice Hill — a 5-10, 195-pound former fourth-round pick — who made the decisive play, scoring on a 51-yard run with 7:24 remaining.
The game-breaking touchdown was set up by a dropped pass on third and six by Quentin Johnston on the Chargers’ previous possession when they trailed by seven. The second-year receiver had a wide-open catch with plenty of room to run, but the ball glanced off his hands. He shook his head as he retreated to the sideline, where teammates gave him encouraging taps on the shoulder.
Still, the damage was done.
Instead of allowing the Chargers’ defense to rest on the sideline, the drop let the Ravens continue a run of five straight scoring drives.
While the Ravens controlled the game with their punishing running game, the Chargers (7-4) went three and out on their first two fourth-quarter drives, mimicking last week’s late-game struggles against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Chargers stirred back to life just in time against the Bengals, but couldn’t find a similar lifeline Monday against Lamar Jackson. The two-time most valuable player threw for 177 yards and two touchdowns on 16-of-22 passing and ran for a score.
Against the quarterback known for his elusive and shifty scrambling, it was Justin Herbert who made the first big play with his legs. The Chargers quarterback opened the scoring with a five-yard touchdown run on a clinical opening drive.
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert hugs the football as he scores on a touchdown run against the Ravens.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Other than a no-gain rush on the opening play of the game, the Chargers earned positive yardage on each play to march down the field in nine plays. After former Ravens running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards alternated jabs on the ground, Herbert punched into the end zone with a scramble up the middle.
Herbert, who fumbled last week while scrambling, hugged the ball tight under his chin with both arms as he ran through the end zone and up the sideline toward his coaches.
While Herbert had the Chargers soaring early, Jackson was sailing his passes high. He connected on just one of his first four passes as the Chargers built a 10-0 lead.
But Jackson quickly announced himself with his 10-yard touchdown run with 7:48 remaining in the second quarter that sparked Baltimore’s steady scoring spree.
Herbert finished with 218 yards passing, completing 21 of 36 passes. Although he scored on the ground, Herbert was without a passing touchdown for a second time this season.