The Chargers led the Jets 24-6 at halftime of Sunday’s game and Justin Herbert was putting up monster numbers, but they weren’t able to make it a laugher against their winless visitors from the AFC East.
Joe Flacco threw two touchdowns in the second half and the Jets had a chance to tie the game with the ball on the Chargers side of the field in the final two minutes of the game. Flacco threw three straight incompletions, including a shot to Denzel Mims in the end zone, and the Chargers were able to hold on for a 34-28 victory that made a late twist away from their frequent heartbreaking losses.
The win snaps a three-game losing streak and moves the Chargers to 3-7 on the season. They’ll be in Buffalo next weekend.
Herbert threw for 277 yards in the first half of the game, but only added 89 yards after halftime as the Chargers stopped stretching the field the way they did in the opening 30 minutes. Wide receiver Keenan Allen set a team record with 16 catches, but his 145 receiving yards speak to the more conservative approach the team employed once they were ahead of the Jets.
Joey Bosa returned from a concussion and picked up five quarterback hits, but he also helped the Jets with a pair of roughing the passer penalties and the Chargers made several defensive penalties that gave the Jets a hand after halftime.
It ultimately wasn’t enough thanks to the way the first half played out, so the Jets are now 0-10 with the Dolphins coming for a visit next weekend. They’ve come close to wins in each of their last two games, so we’ll see if Adam Gase can finish the job against his former employers.