The Los Angeles Chargers picked up an improbable win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. After throwing away a 13-point fourth-quarter lead, the Chargers put together a last-second go-ahead drive to earn their fourth win of the season. While wide receiver Ladd McConkey is earning his due praise for his big play on the aforementioned drive, head coach Jim Harbaugh made sure to single out offensive lineman Zion Johnson after the game.
McConkey’s 42-yard catch and run set up Cameron Dicker to hit a game-winning 33-yard field goal with just seconds left in the fourth quarter, but Harbaugh knows the second-year wideout didn’t make his big play all by himself. That’s why, after the game, he chose to shout out Johnson for his unique role in this game-changing catch.
Jim Harbaugh Shouts Out Zion Johnson After Chargers Win
For much of the afternoon, the Chargers appeared to be in complete control over the Dolphins. And yet, Miami managed to claw its way back from a 13-point deficit to take a one-point lead with just over 40 seconds left in the fourth quarter when Tua Tagovailoa found Darren Waller wide open in the back of the end zone.
Los Angeles still had time on the clock, and its offense made the most of it. On the second play of the drive, Herbert somehow escaped a sack to find McConkey on a shallow crosser, and he ended up racing 42 yards down the field to put the Chargers in field goal position. After bleeding out the clock, Dicker nailed his field goal attempt, and L.A. somehow escaped with a 29-27 win.
While McConkey sprinting down the field was a sight to behold, Harbaugh was particularly captivated by Johnson, who was also sprinting down the field in an attempt to help block for McConkey. He ultimately didn’t end up factoring into the play, but his desire to help his teammate out on the biggest play of the game caught Harbaugh’s eye.
“And here comes Zion Johnson flying ahead of Ladd,” Harbaugh said after the game. “Just the type of effort, the type of ‘want to,’ the great desire to win.”
Chargers Facing Big Test in Week 7 vs. Colts
GettyLA Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh
It wasn’t necessarily pretty, but considering how many injuries the Chargers are dealing with, they will take wins any way they can get them at this point. However, when looking at how bad the Dolphins have been this season, seeing the team come this close to suffering a potentially crushing loss is a bit disheartening, and it’s clear there are some things that need to be fixed moving forward.
Because Los Angeles now has a matchup against the Indianapolis Colts on its hands in Week 7, that makes this win even more important. The Colts have been one of the best teams in the league this season, and they figure to provide the Chargers with a real test when they square off. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. ET on Sunday, and L.A. will be hoping to carry over some of its late magic against Miami into this contest.
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