Excellent Justin Herbert Not Enough For LA Chargers, Saints Win 30-27 OT

Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints had yet another interesting Monday Night Football. They would come back from a 17-point deficit, to force overtime, and win 30-27.

“This was a wild one,” Brees stated following the match, that has been decided with the Saints’ good defense.

The hosts stopped Justin Herbert in the extra time, forcing the Chargers’ QB to have four unsuccessful plays, protecting their three-point lead brought by K Wil Lutz.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pK-iAfDaCY&ab_channel=NFL

This was the second straight victory of the Saints, where they managed to come back following a double-digit minus. Last week, NO faced the same situation against the Detroit Lions, in a match where they trailed 14-0, but still, win in the end.

In this one, the Chargers were up 20-3, late in the second period, with Herbert throwing three TD passes to three different receivers, Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Hunter Henry. But with 14 seconds until the break, Brees decreased the lead with his one-yard TD.

Even though the Saints leveled the score at the start of the fourth, to 20-20 with Jared Cook’s 41-yard catch, the Chargers responded through Mike Williams, who had a masterful 61-yard TD that lifted his side to a 27-20 advantage.

Brees and the Saints grinded their way out of this unpleasant situation, with Taysom Hill’s 9-yard run 0:52 before the end of the regulation, forcing an OT. In the meantime, the Chargers’ K Michael Badgley missed a 50-yard field goal that would secure them a victory.

“To be so close in these last four games, it hurts a lot,” said Herbert, following the game. “We got to learn how to close out games.”

The rookie was excellent when looking at the overall picture, becoming the youngest QB to have four passes for a TD on Monday Night Football. He had 22 years and 216 days., indicating that the Chargers probably got their franchise leaders for the years to come. He would end the night with 264 yards, 20-for-34, without an interception and suffering three sacks.

The Chargers again wasted a 17-point lead after last week’s collapse against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They would become the first team since 2003 to have back-to-back losses after leading this much.

“We know we can play with anybody. …We just got to finish these damn games,” LAC’s head coach Anthony Lynn stated, visibly frustrated.

The reasons for his frustration are not coming from a loss, but also because of injuries, as the Chargers lost Keenan Allen during the game, and apparently Mike Williams, who hurt himself at the end of the game, on the last snap. Previously, the team from LA already lost Austin Ekeler.

Lynn’s guys will have a chance to improve their 1-4 record already next week, once they host the poor New York Jets who are arguably the worst team in the league now. After that, the Chargers face Miami Dolphins in Florida.

The Saints (3-2) have a week off, which is a good situation for them. With the most recent problems regarding Michael Thomas’s injury and his dispute with head coach Sean Payton, this would give the Saints time to calm down and recharge their batteries. They need that because of the schedule that follows. At first, New Orleans meets Carolina Panthers at home on October 25 before having two extremely tough games on the road – vs. Chicago Bears and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.