Cameron Dicker’s 33-yard field goal with five seconds left lifted the Los Angeles Chargers to a 29-27 win over the host Miami Dolphins on Sunday afternoon at Miami Gardens, Fla.
The game-winner was Dicker’s fifth field goal in five attempts for the game and helped the Chargers (4-2) snap a two-game losing streak.
De’Von Achane rushed for 128 yards on 16 carries and scored a pair of rushing touchdowns for the Dolphins (1-5), who dropped their second in a row and are off to their worst start since opening the 2021 season with a 1-7 record.
Tua Tagovailoa’s 7-yard touchdown pass to Darren Waller with 46 seconds remaining gave the Dolphins a 27-26 lead.
Tagovailoa, who completed 21 of 31 passes for 205 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions, went 7 of 7 for 57 yards on what the Dolphins hoped would be the game-winning drive.
But Nyheim Miller-Hines returned the ensuing kickoff to the Chargers’ 41 and, on the Chargers’ second play of the drive, Ladd McConkey caught a screen pass from Justin Herbert, shook off a tackler and sped 42 yards to the Dolphins’ 17-yard line to set up the eventual winning score.
Tagovailoa was picked off by Derwin James Jr. on Miami’s final possession as time expired.
Herbert completed 29 of 38 passes for 264 yards, two touchdown passes and no interceptions. Kimani Vidal ran for 124 yards on 18 carries and caught a touchdown pass.
Herbert threw both of his touchdown passes early in the second half to help Los Angeles transform a 13-9 halftime deficit into a 26-13 lead.
Herbert directed a 13-play, 72-yard drive that lasted the first seven minutes, 34 seconds of the second half to give the Chargers a 16-13 lead on a 5-yard touchdown pass to McConkey.
Tagovailoa threw his second interception on the ensuing drive as Benjamin St-Juste jumped in front of a pass intended for Jaylen Waddle at the Dolphins’ 37-yard line. The turnover led to a 7-yard touchdown on a catch and run out of the backfield by Vidal to push L.A.’s lead to 23-13 with 4:01 left in the third.
Achane’s 4-yard touchdown with 7:56 remaining in the fourth cut the Chargers’ lead to 26-20.