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INGLEWOOD, California -- The Los Angeles Chargers' sideline erupted in jubilation following two special plays by a history-plagued special teams unit. With 4:58 remaining in overtime, the Bolts recovered a muffed punt on the Denver Broncos' 28-yard line. Then, four plays later, kicker Dustin Hopkins -- playing through a right hamstring injury -- knocked down a 39-yard field goal to give the Chargers a 19-16 win at SoFi Stadium.
With the win, the Bolts improve to 4-2 -- keeping them in the thick of the race for the AFC West, while proving that they can come up clutch.
Last Sunday, the Chargers were gifted a victory from the Cleveland Browns when kicker Cade York missed a potential game-winning 54-yard field goal. On Monday Night Football, the Chargers left no doubt that they could win on their terms.
QB breakdown: Justin Herbert and the Bolts' offense struggled to find a rhythm against a fast and physical defense. Herbert completed 37 of 57 passes for 238 yards with an interception.
Justin Herbert and the Bolts' offense struggled to find a rhythm against a fast and physical defense. Herbert completed 37 of 57 passes for 238 yards with an interception.
Through regulation, Herbert averaged 2.2 air yards on his completions, below his previous career low of 2.7.
Cornerback Pat Sartain II effectively eliminated go-to target wide receiver Mike Williams, who finished with two catches for 17 yards -- including a clutch 9-yard reception in overtime to set up the game-winning field goal.
Herbert's lone touchdown drive came in the first quarter, when he put together a seven-play, 84-yard drive that resulted in rushing 6 yards for a score to put the Bolts on the board, 10-7.
In the fourth quarter, on first-and-10 from his own 17-yard line, Herbert had a pass intercepted that was intended for Gerald Everett-- his second interception of the season when targeting his new tight end.
Troubling trend: Cornerback J.C. Jackson not playing to standard after signing a five-year, $82.5 million contract in free agency.
Jackson could only watch, on an apparent blown assignment, as tight end Greg Dulcich sprinted by for a 39-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter to give the Broncos a 10-0 lead. A fifth-year pro, Jackson played four seasons in New England, where he led the NFL in interceptions (25) since 2018.
Jackson awaits his first pick as a Charger, and it's unclear exactly what has caused his slow start to the season, whether it's learning a new scheme or coming back from ankle surgery performed in late August.
Buy on a breakout performance: After spending most of the 2021 season on the sideline following ankle surgery, edge rusher Khalil Mack is proving in his ninth NFL season that he has plenty remaining in the tank.
Mack acknowledged entering Monday night that it is no fun chasing around Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson, yet he kept constant pressure on Wilson, sacking him once, and also batted down a pass.
Mack ranks second in the NFL, tied with six other players, with six sacks. The Chargers sacked Wilson four times. -- Lindsey Thiry
Underrated statistic to know: Herbert threw zero touchdowns on 57 passes Monday. It's the second time this season a player threw at least 57 passes without a touchdown (Kyler Murray).
Next game: vs. Seahawks (4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday)
One of Denver Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett's biggest items on the to-do list when he took the job was to improve the Broncos' dismal performance in the AFC West, especially on the road in the division.
The Broncos stumbled into SoFi Stadium Monday night 2-11 in their past 13 division games dating back to the start of the 2020 season, 0-7 on the road with a loss in Las Vegas already on this season's docket. So, add another on the growing pile as their offense shut it down in the second half -- again -- and rookie Montrell Washington muffed a punt at the Broncos' 28-yard line with 4 minutes, 46 seconds to play in overtime to help set up a 19-16 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Biggest hole in the game plan: Hackett has spent plenty of time since he got the job talking about how important the run game is, and will be, in the team's offense.
And then, as the team struggles along the learning curve, when it has the ball the run game is ornamental at best. Granted, the season-ending injury Javonte Williams suffered in the loss to the Raiders will impact the Broncos' plan, but they ran the ball just seven times in the first half versus the Chargers, and one of those was a Wilson scramble.
QB breakdown: Wilson hit his first 10 pass attempts Monday night and looked far more comfortable overall. But without the benefit of much play-action in the Broncos' offense and amid an ongoing disconnect with wide receiver Jerry Jeudy that seems to appear with regularity, Wilson completed only three of his next 11 passes.
He completed passes to nine different receivers, including the first touchdown for rookie tight end Greg Dulcich.
Underrated statistic to know: Wilson started the game completing his first nine attempts to nine different pass-catchers. According to Elias, no QB dating back to 1978 started a game 9-for-9 to nine different players.
Next game: vs. Jets (4:05 p.m. ET, Sunday)
Daniel Weinman was crowned winner of the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event on Monday, taking home a record breaking $12.1 million in winnings. Weinman had to outlast the other 10,043 entrants to take home the prize and get his hands on his share of live poker’s largest ever prize pool – a staggering $93,399,900. As well as taking home the prize money, 35-year-old Weinman also got his hands on the WSOP Main Event bracelet. The huge bracelet contains 500 grams of 10-karat yellow gold, as well as 2,352 various precious gemstones.
Daniel Weinman won the World Series of Poker's main event world championship on Monday in Las Vegas, earning $12.1 million along the way. Playing in the tournament for a 16th year, Weinman was tops in a deep pool of 10,043 players vying for $93.39 million. His victory came after just 164 hands at the final table. "I was honestly on the fence about even coming back and playing this tournament," the 35-year-old Atlanta native told reporters afterward. Weinman's final table featured Jan-Peter Jachtmann, who landed in fourth place and took home $3 million, as well as Toby Lewis, who finished seventh and secured $1.42 million. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the main event's entry pool far outpaced the previous record of 8,773 set in 2006. "I've always kind of felt that poker was kind of going in a dying direction, but to see the numbers at the World Series this year has been incredible," Weinman said. "And to win this main event, it doesn't feel real. I mean, [there's] so much luck in a poker tournament. I thought I played very well." Steven Jones finished second, securing $6.5 million. And Adam Walton settled for third and a $4 million prize.
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