MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Cameron Dicker kicked five field goals, including the 33-yard game-winner with 5 seconds left, Justin Herbert threw two second-half touchdown passes and the Chargers ended a two-game losing streak with a 29-27 victory Sunday over the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium.
Playing behind a patchwork offensive line because of injuries to tackles Joe Alt and Trey Pipkins III, and facing a 13-9 deficit at halftime, Herbert directed scoring drives on each of the Chargers’ first two possessions of the second half. He threw TD passes of 5 yards to Ladd McConkey and 7 yards to Kimani Vidal.
Dicker kicked field goals of 35, 31 and 29 yards in the first half.
Herbert completed 29 of 38 passes for 264 yards and two touchdowns. Vidal rushed for a career-high 124 yards on 18 carries. Dicker’s fourth field goal of the game gave the Chargers a 26-13 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Tony Jefferson, Benjamin St-Juste and Derwin James Jr. had interceptions for the Chargers.
De’Von Achane rushed for two touchdowns and Riley Patterson kicked field goals of 47 and 27 yards for the Dolphins.
Achane raced 49 yards around the right end for a touchdown with 4:03 left in the first quarter. Achane had 89 yards on seven carries in the first half, averaging 12.7 yards per attempt, and was the Dolphins’ only successful weapon.
The Chargers had their moments, but couldn’t string enough of them to score a touchdown against a Dolphins defense that went into the game ranked at or near the bottom in most categories, including yards given up per play (6.4, which ranked last). It helped to explain their 1-4 record going into Sunday.
The Chargers scored first for the fifth time in six games this season, taking advantage of Jefferson’s interception of Tua Tagovailoa’s first pass of the game and the Dolphins’ second play from scrimmage. Dicker kicked a 35-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead with 7:52 left in the first quarter.
Herbert’s 5-yard touchdown pass to McConkey put the Chargers in front 16-13 with 7:26 remaining in the third quarter, capping a 13-play, 72-yard drive that took 7:34. The touchdown reception was McConkey’s sixth catch of the game on seven targets from Herbert for 58 yards.
Vidal’s touchdown catch and Dicker’s 35-yard field goal then made it 26-13.
More to come on this story.