The Bengals flirted with their biggest road comeback ever Sunday night at SoFi Stadium when quarterback Joe Burrow fired three touchdown passes in a span of less than nine minutes against the NFL's top-ranked scoring defense to erase a 21-point deficit.
The last scoring toss was a 17-yard improvisation to wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase that tied it at 27 with 12:21 left in the game. It was Chase's second touchdown of the game, and came after the Bengals forced the Chargers' fifth turnover of the season.
Linebacker Logan Wilson’s knee kicked the ball out of Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert's hand and it was recovered by safety Geno Stone to encapsulate a rigid second-half defensive effort.
Wide receiver Tee Higgins returned from injury to post his first 100-yard day of the season on nine catches for 148 yards while Chase added 75 yards on seven grabs. Burrow was 28 of 50 for 356 yards.
In the wild closing minutes, a roughing the passer caller overturned a Burrow interception and Burrow then bolted up the middle for 14 yards to convert a third-and-nine. But Evan McPherson missed a 48-yard field wide left to keep it 27-27 with 7:31 left.
The Bengals once again made their way into field goal position with under two minutes to go, but McPherson's 51-yard try sailed left of the uprights a second time. The defense stood tall and held the Chargers to a three-and-out, giving Burrow and the offense one more chance, but they went three-and-out as well. Herbert got the ball back with under a minute remaining and moved Los Angeles down the field. The drive was capped by a 29-yard touchdown by J.K. Dobbins to ice the victory for the Chargers.
NOTES
Ja'Marr Hits 1K
Ja'Marr Chase surpassed 1,000 receiving yards on the season early in the first quarter, when he took his first catch of the night for a 32-yard gain to help set up a McPherson field goal.
Chase became the sixth player in NFL history to reach 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first four career seasons, joining Randy Moss, A.J. Green, Mike Evans, Michael Thomas and Justin Jefferson. He also stands alongside Thomas as the only players in league history to record 70+ receptions and 1,000+ yards in each of his first four years.
Chase finished Sunday's game with seven catches for 75 yards and two touchdowns, boosting his season totals to 73 receptions for 1,056 yards and 12 TDs -- each of those figures lead the league.
Uno Passes 40
Burrow connected with Chase on fourth-and-goal midway through the third quarter for Cincinnati's first touchdown of the night. It marked Chase's 11th touchdown of the season and the 40th of his career.
Playing in his 56th career regular-season game, Chase became the fifth-fastest player in NFL history to reach 40 receiving touchdowns. The only players to hit that mark in fewer games are Jerry Rice (44 games), Randy Moss (44), Rob Gronkowski (47) and Odell Beckham Jr. (54).
Chase's two touchdowns put his career total at 41, which ties former receiver Eddie Brown for the fifth-most in Bengals history. Sunday night also marked Chase's 10th career game with multiple touchdowns, tied with Isaac Curtis for the third-most in team history. Only Chad Johnson and Carl Pickens (13 each) had more.
Joe Launches to Tee on Fourth Down
Burrow took a snap on fourth-and-two from the Chargers' 42-yard line late in the third quarter and hit Tee Higgins in stride for a touchdown that cut the deficit to 27-20. It was Higgins' fourth touchdown of the season and the 28th of his career.
The play also marked Burrow's 27th career touchdown pass of 40+ yards, the most in the NFL since he entered the league in 2020. It also is the second-most TD passes of 40+ yards in a player's first five seasons by any quarterback whose career began after 1990 — only Peyton Manning (28) had more in his first five years. Higgins finished the night with nine receptions for 148 yards and a touchdown. His 148 yards tied for the second-most in a game in his career.
Clutch Turnover Leads to Game-Tying TD
The Chargers held a seven-point lead and were driving in Bengals territory at the start of the fourth quarter, before Logan Wilson came through with a game-changing play as he knocked the ball loose while Herbert was going to the ground. The fumble was scooped up by Geno Stone at Cincinnati's 22-yard line and returned for six yards. It marked Wilson's first forced fumble of the season (sixth in career) and Stone's first fumble recovery as a Bengal (second in career).
Cincinnati's offense capitalized on the turnover by putting together a seven-play, 71-yard drive capped by a 17-yard touchdown pass from Burrow to Chase that knotted the score at 27. The score gave Burrow his 21st career game with 3+ touchdown passes, tied with Kurt Warner for the third-most in NFL history in a player's first five seasons. Only Dan Marino (33) and Patrick Mahomes (28) had more in their first three years.
Check out the best photos from Chargers-Bengals Week 11 matchup.
WR Ja'Marr Chase celebrates after a catch during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
QB Joe Burrow celebrates a fourth-quarter touchdown pass during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
WR Ja'Marr Chase celebrates his fourth-quarter touchdown during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
QB Joe Burrow escapes and throws to Chase Brown during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
WR Tee Higgins scores a third-quarter touchdown during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
WR Ja'Marr Chase scores a touchdown during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
QB Joe Burrow drops back to pass during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
RB Chase Brown runs the ball during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
QB Joe Burrow throws to WR Ja'Marr Chase during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
WR Ja'Marr Chase runs after the catch during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
K Evan McPherson celebrates a field goal in the first quarter during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
QB Joe Burrow looks to pass during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
CB Cam Taylor-Britt sacks Chargers QB Justin Herbert during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
CB Cam-Taylor Britt celebrates his sack during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
RB Chase Brown attempts to break a tackle during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
TE Tanner Hudson catches a pass during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
WR Tee Higgins makes a catch during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
K Evan McPherson makes his second field goal during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
WR Ja'Marr Chase lines up before the snap during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
WR Tee Higgins catches a pass during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
Bengals defense makes a stop during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
DT B.J. Hill celebrates a stop during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
WR Ja'Marr Chase tries to avoid a tackle during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
CB DJ Turner breaks up a pass during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
CB DJ Turner breaks up a pass during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
CB DJ Turner breaks up a pass during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
LB Logan Wilson makes a tackle during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
WR Tee Higgins makes a sideline grab during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
CB Josh Newton breaks up a pass during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
WR Ja'Marr Chase celebrates his third-quarter touchdown during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
WR Ja'Mar Chase during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
QB Joe Burrow looks to throw during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
DE Joseph Ossai and LB Logan Wilson combine for a sack during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
DE Joseph Ossai celebrates a third-quarter sack during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
WR Tee Higgins makes a grab on the sidelines during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
QB Joe Burrow looks to throw during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
WR Tee Higgins celebrates his third-quarter touchdown during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
QB Joe Burrow finds a target downfield during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
CB DJ Turner breaks up a pass during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
RB Chase Brown catches a pass from Joe Burrow during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
QB Joe Burrow escapes the pocket and looks to pass during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
WR Ja'Marr Chase celebrates a fourth-quarter touchdown during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
WR Ja'Marr Chase scores a touchdown in the fourth quarter during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
WR Ja'Marr Chase scores a touchdown in the fourth quarter during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
WR Ja'Marr Chase scores a touchdown in the fourth quarter during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
LB Logan Wilson forces a fumble during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
DT Kris Jenkins Jr celebrates a stop during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
QB Joe Burrow celebrates after a third-down run during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
DE Trey Hendrickson celebrates a stop during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
WR Andrei Iosivas catches a fourth-quarter pass during Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, Sunday, November 17, 2024
QUOTES
"It's a disappointing loss because I don't know how many teams in the league are going to hang in (down) 24-6 at halftime and dig their way back, fight the way our guys did. We're going to reflect back - there's going to be some opportunities we had to finish it off, and it didn't go our way. I'm proud of our guys, sick for our guys. Those guys left it on the field and gave us everything they had. Stuck together, made play after play to get us back in that thing, and they just made one more play than we did." - Head Coach Zac Taylor, on his emotions following the game
"We got a turnover, we hit some shots down the field, we started running the ball well. We didn't really make any adjustments - we just started executing better." - Quarterback Joe Burrow, on how the offense was able to create momentum in the second half
"Our guys were just confident. Over the years, we've been in these situations before. You've just got to take it one possession at a time. That's all we preached at halftime. That's what we preached after every possession to start the third quarter. The defense just kept making stops and the offense kept scoring points, and guys kept stepping up and making plays. You thought (there was) no doubt we were going to finish this thing off. We had our opportunities. We crossed the 50 a couple times, and just couldn't get seven or three on the board. They got one more possession and they knocked it in, and that's the story of the game." - Head Coach Zac Taylor, on how the team was able to battle back in the second half
