The Los Angeles Chargers and Cincinnati Bengals are set to party like it’s 2020 on “Sunday Night Football.”
That’s largely because a marquee quarterback matchup featuring two of the 2020 NFL draft’s best passers is taking center stage on NBC. Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow will meet for just the second time in their NFL careers in Los Angeles on Sunday night.
Both quarterbacks have cemented their status as some of the league’s best young passers, and both have eerily similar stats over the courses of their careers to show for it: Herbert has thrown 125 touchdowns to Burrow’s 121. Burrow has the edge in INTs, having only thrown 41 to Herbert’s 43. The edge is even closer in yards per game, in which Herbert has averaged 269.2 yards to Burrow’s 270.2.
Outside of the stats, this game has massive playoff implications as races heat up. The 4-6 Bengals are clinging to their playoff hopes after a Week 10 loss to the Ravens, and the hyper-competitive AFC North might be out of reach. That means every win against conference opponents should mean a little bit more as they chase a wild-card spot.
That means the Chargers are in a unique position to deal a blow to Cincinnati’s playoff chase on Sunday. The Chargers (6-3), meanwhile, have been making major headway in the AFC wild-card race.
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The AFC playoff race hits the next gear on Sunday night. USA TODAY Sports will provide live updates, highlights and more from the Week 11 “SNF” game.
The Chargers keep on rolling. Cameron Dicker’s kick is good from 53, adding three more to the growing Cincinnati deficit.
Justin Herbert was 10-of-14 for 183 yards and two touchdowns in the first 30 minutes of game action while posting a 153.3 passer rating. He added four carries for 58 yards, making him a dual threat that’s only been stopped by the clock tonight.
The Chargers’ Justin Herbert has been running all over the Cincinnati defense so far tonight, but it shouldn’t come as a surprise to see the 6-foot-6 quarterback on the move. Herbert ran a 4.68-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine in 2020. After recovering from an ankle injury, Herbert has been off and running a lot more, giving another dimension to the Chargers offense. With four carries for 58 yards in the first half, it’s safe to say the Bengals didn’t get the memo.
The Chargers are in complete control tonight and likely would’ve added another seven points if the clock didn’t have just four seconds left on it. Instead, with the ball at the one-yard line, L.A. settles for three from “Dicker the kicker.”
It was the finishing touch on a dominate half from Herbert and Co., while the Bengals are left searching for answers. To make matter worse for them, the Chargers are set to receive the second half kickoff.
Four drives. Three touchdowns. The Chargers are known for their defense in 2024, but the offense is here to remind the viewers that they shouldn’t be overlooked either. This first half has been a statement from Harbaugh’s club as J.K. Dobbins adds a rushing touchdown to the tally.
Justin Herbert is putting on a show in primetime. He’s 6-for-6 for 123 yards and two touchdowns, with the latest going to Quentin Johnston. The second-year receiver extends his touchdown streak to three as the Chargers extend their lead.
The Bengals found themselves inside the Chargers’ 10-yard line again, but are forced to settle for another field goal from Evan McPherson. He hits from 27 yards this time, leaving the masses to wonder if his next attempt will come from 28. Field goals aren’t going to win this game, but the Chargers defense is standing tall.
Cincinnati converted a fourth down play at the end of the quarter, but the concern could be for Tee Higgins, who took a brutal hit to his back on the final play. L.A. returned a fumble for an apparent touchdown following the Higgins hit, but replay ruled that the receiver was down. The Chargers will hold a four-point lead going into the second quarter.
One play later, Will Dissly finds pay dirt as Justin Herbert fires one up the seam to his tight end. Dissly has really come on as a receiver for the Chargers after being mostly used as a blocker in other stops. L.A. punches back and takes the lead.
Following a catch along the sideline, Ladd McConkey came up holding his shoulder and collarbone area. Geno Stone landed on him with the tackle and the receiver went into the medical tent for evaluation.
After first-and-goal at the L.A. three-yard line, Cincinnati is forced to settle for a field goal from Evan McPherson following a few penalties. He knocks it through from 26 yards out to give his team a 3-0 lead. Jim Harbaugh’s defense, which allows the fewest points per game in the league, comes up with a big stand.
Much like their opponents, the Chargers’ opening drive ends without incident. L.A. came out trying to establish their identity with three straight run plays, but came up empty.
While the Jermaine Burton catch stood after replay, the Bengals couldn’t do anything with it. They are forced to punt after just crossing midfield to the Chargers’ 48-yard line. Justin Herbert and the Chargers will go to work from inside their own 20.
Our first stoppage of the evening comes on a Jermaine Burton catch. Or is it? Well, that’s what the referees will have to determine after Jim Harbaugh tossed his challenge flag. It’s not often we get a red flag before the yellow, but the ketchup colored laundry will either result in a completion for a Cincinnati first down or a incomplete pass that brings up third down.
UPDATE: It resulted in an 8-yard completion for the Bengals.
The Chargers and Bengals game will wrap up Sunday’s action for Week 11 of the 2024 NFL season with “Sunday Night Football” at 8:20 p.m. ET.
For cord cutters looking for a live stream for the matchup, you can turn to Fubo TV. Fubo TV carries NBC, as well as CBS, FOX, NFL Network and the ESPN family of networks, meaning you can catch NFL action through the remainder of the season.
Peacock, NBC’s proprietary streaming service, will also carry the game.
Following a dominant win over the Raiders, the Bengals arrived in Baltimore for their Week 10 matchup, hoping for retribution. After a disappointing one-score loss in overtime to the Ravens in Week 5, Cincinnati had a chance to get its hopes for playoff contention back on track with a prime-time win on the road.
Instead, the Bengals repeated history.
Five weeks after quarterback Joe Burrow threw for 392 yards and five touchdowns against the Ravens, he threw for 428 yards and four touchdowns in Baltimore. Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase had 264 yards and three touchdowns on 11 catches. The Bengals lost, 35-34, as the defense could not stop Baltimore’s fourth-quarter offensive surge.
The Chargers face their first big challenge in a few weeks after three straight matchups with two-win teams. Though the Bengals are another sub-.500 team, their roster still has tons of talent, particularly on the offensive side, and may be better than their record indicates.
Most recently, the Chargers defeated the Titans in Week 10, in which quarterback Justin Herbert continued spreading the ball around to various pass-catchers. He targeted eight different players, and six of Los Angeles’ offensive play-makers caught a pass as Herbert finished 14-of-18 on pass attempts for 164 yards and a touchdown. — Jack McKessy
The two elite quarterbacks are a huge reason why the NFL flexed the Cincinnati Bengals vs. Los Angeles Chargers into primetime on Sunday night.
On Sunday night, the Chargers have an opportunity to make a statement win as they enter a daunting stretch where they face some of the NFL’s premier quarterbacks in Burrow (Week 11), Lamar Jackson (Week 12), Kirk Cousins (Week 13) and Mahomes (Week 14).
“November is the football you remember,” Chargers outside linebacker Khalil Mack said. “Just got to be hitting on all cylinders and keep elevating week by week. —Tyler Dragon
Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter started his coaching career as a defensive intern at Notre Dame in 2006. He spent the next decade working in college football, holding assistant roles at Cincinnati and Indiana State before becoming a defensive coordinator for the Sycamores and at Georgia State.
In 2017, Minter broke into the NFL as an assistant on John Harbaugh’s staff with the Baltimore Ravens. He spent the next four seasons working largely as a defensive backs coach before getting a chance to serve as Vanderbilt’s defensive coordinator in 2021.
After a year at Vanderbilt, Minter got a chance to replace Mike Macdonald as Michigan’s defensive coordinator. Minter worked for two years in tandem with Harbaugh and turned the Wolverines into one of the best defenses in the country. That powered Michigan to a national title win, after which Harbaugh and Minter defected for the NFL. — Jacob Camenker
Jesse Minter’s rise is similar to that of Mike Macdonald, who coached for both Harbaugh brothers before the Seahawks hired him to be the NFL’s youngest head coach during the 2024 offseason.
With that in mind, there are several potential landing spots Minter could consider if he gets head coaching interviews in 2024, including the Saints and Jaguars. Here are more landing spots for the Chargers DC.
Here’s how the USA TODAY Sports staff feels the Week 11 “SNF” matchup between the Chargers and Bengals will shape up:
Head coach Zac Taylor told reporters on Friday that he expects Tee Higgins to play in the Bengals’ Week 11 “Sunday Night Football” meeting with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Higgins returned to practice this week for the first time since suffering a quad injury in practice on Oct. 25. He missed the Bengals’ last three games while recovering from the injury.
The Chargers are favorites to defeat the Bengals, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering NFL betting promos in 2024 including the ESPN BET app and Fanatics Sportsbook promo code.
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Temperatures in the Inglewood, California, area should hover around 60 degrees around kickoff, according to AccuWeather. There’s a 0% chance of rain in the area.
While SoFi Stadium has a roof, it is an open-air venue.
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