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The Los Angeles Chargers came up short against the Kansas City Chiefs with a 30-27 loss on Sunday Night Football, but quarterback Justin Herbert did his best to put his team in position to win.
Herbert finished 23-of-30 for 280 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in the loss, which dropped the Chargers to 5-5.
The 24-year-old went toe-to-toe with Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who won the duel by throwing a go-ahead 17-yard touchdown to Travis Kelce with 31 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Herbert’s interception came on the ensuing drive, sealing the victory for the AFC-leading Chiefs (8-2).
Prior to Mahomes’ heroics, Herbert engineered a 10-play, 64-yard drive that ended with a six-yard touchdown pass to Joshua Palmer, giving Los Angeles a 27-23 lead. Unfortunately, the Chargers defense couldn’t hold off in the end.
Despite the loss, fans on social media were excited by what they saw from Herbert on Sunday:
Matt Lombardo @MattLombardoNFL
If the #Chargers hold on here, that’s a signature drive from Justin Herbert.
Alex 👋 @Dubs408
Justin Herbert pic.twitter.com/MS5Ztp54Fo
Onthehop08 @Onthehop2
Justin Herbert makes throws that most NFL quarterbacks don’t. He’s special. #chiefsvschargers
The Chargers will undoubtedly be disappointed by Sunday’s loss, but Herbert remains one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL. There’s still a lot of time left in the season for Los Angeles to turn things around, and having Herbert under center gives the team a solid chance against any opponent.
The Chargers will look to end a two-game skid when they visit the Arizona Cardinals (4-6) next Sunday.