INGLEWOOD, Calif. — J. K. Dobbins rushed for a 29-yard touchdown with 18 seconds left, and the Los Angeles Chargers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 34-27 on Sunday night after blowing a 21-point lead in the third quarter.

Justin Herbert passed for 297 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed for 65 yards as the Chargers (7-3) won their fourth straight. Dobbins ran for two TDs.

Joe Burrow passed for 356 yards and three touchdowns, but the Bengals (4-7) suffered another excruciating defeat. They have five defeats by seven points or less.

After the offense was stagnant for most of the second half, Los Angeles went 84 yards on four plays in 26 seconds on the decisive drive. Ladd McConkey, who had six receptions for a career-high 123 yards, had 28- and 27-yard grabs before Dobbins scored his eighth touchdown of the season.

Dobbins also scored from 1 yard out in the second quarter to extend Los Angeles’ lead to 21-6. He finished with 56 yards on 11 carries.

Burrow got Cincinnati to the Chargers 43 in the final seconds with a 27-yard completion, but his final two throws fell incomplete. Derwin James Jr. jumped to the goal line and knocked down a Hail Mary header straight at Tee Higgins on the final play.

Higgins had nine receptions for 148 yards and a touchdown, while Ja’Marr Chase had 75 yards on seven catches and two scores.

Kicker Evan McPherson had two chances to put the Bengals ahead in the fourth quarter, but went wide left from 48 and 51 yards.

Herbert completed nine of his first ten passes, but was eight of 26 the rest of the way.

Cincinnati trailed 27-6 in the third quarter, but scored on three consecutive drives in a span of 13 minutes to tie the game. The first two scores came in fourth place.

Burrow hit Chase on an angle on fourth-and-goal from the LA 4 to get the Bengals within two scores. Higgins – who missed the last three games due to a quad injury – then connected behind Elijah Molden and Ja’Sir Taylor on fourth-and-2 for a 42-yard touchdown to make it 27-20.

The Bengals made it 27-all with 12:21 left when Chase ran in a 17-yard touchdown.

Burrow was 16 of 30 for 245 yards on his last seven drives.

After McPherson’s 26-yard field goal gave the Bengals a 3–0 lead, the Chargers responded quickly as Herbert connected with Will Dissly for a 29-yard touchdown. It was the tight end’s longest reception since Week 1 in 2022, when he had 38 yards for Seattle.

Cincinnati got another field goal before Quentin Johnston caught a 26-yard touchdown from Herbert to make it 14-6 less than four minutes into the second quarter. It’s Johnston’s sixth touchdown and the third straight game he’s reached the end zone.

Los Angeles extended its lead to 24-6 at halftime with two scores in the final five minutes. After Dobbins scored on fourth-and-goal, Cameron Dicker hit a 19-yard field goal on the final play of the half.

Injuries

Bengals: CB DJ Turner II left in the third quarter with a shoulder injury. … OT Orlando Brown Jr. missed his third straight game due to knee and leg injuries, and defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins (illness) was inactive.

Chargers: CB Cam Hart suffered a concussion in the second half and did not return. LB Denzel Perryman left in the fourth quarter due to a groin injury. … LB Khalil Mack (groin) was inactive. It was the first game Mack has missed since joining the Chargers in 2022.

Next

Bengals: After a bye, host Pittsburgh on Dec. 1.

Chargers: Host Baltimore on Monday, Nov. 25 in the third game between coach Jim Harbaugh and his older brother John.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl