Postgame Observations: Joe Burrow Leads Rally, Bengals Fall Short in 34-27 Loss to Chargers

The Bengals rallied back, but it wasn't enough on Sunday night.

Nov 17, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) throws the ball against the Los Angeles Chargers in the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

INGELWOOD, CALIF. — The Bengals rallied from a 21-point third quarter deficit on Sunday, but they came up short, falling to the Chargers 34-27.

This was a must-win and things looked bleak for most of the first half. The Chargers built a 24-6 halftime lead. Cincinnati rallied, but it wasn't enough.

Evan McPherson missed two field goal attempts that would've given the Bengals the lead in the fourth quarter and J.K. Dobbins ran for a 29-yard touchdown with 18 seconds left to seal the victory.

The Bengals are 4-7 on the season. They're 1-6 in one score games this season.

Here are our postgame observations: 

Money Mac Misses Twice

Bengals kicker Evan McPherson had two chances to give the Bengals the lead in the fourth quarter. He missed a 48 yard attempt with 7:31 left. He followed that up with a 51-yard miss with 1:48 left.

McPherson has had his fair share of struggles this season, but it doesn't get much worse than Sunday night. They needed to win and they gave McPherson chances, but he missed both kicks to the left.

Burrow Leads Rally

Joe Burrow completed 28-of-50 passes for 356 yards and three touchdowns. All three touchdowns came in the second half.

Burrow led Cincinnati on three-straight touchdown drives in the second half to help Cincinnati tie the game at 27. They trailed 27-6 early in the third quarter.

It felt like the season was done, but Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and the Bengals rallied back in the second half. It wasn't enough to get the win, but they did their part and nearly pulled it off.

First Half Defense

The Chargers went three-and-out on their first possession of the game. They responded by scoring on their next four possessions, including three touchdowns to take a 24-6 halftime lead. 

Justin Herbert started the game by completing his first seven passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns. He also had two runs for 50 yards.

Third Quarter Rally

The Bengals trailed 27-6 early in the third quarter. Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins did their part to help spark a rally.

First, Burrow found Chase for a four-yard touchdown on fourth down to trim the lead to 27-13. The Bengals' defense got a stop and the offense found more fourth down success.

Burrow connected with Tee Higgins for a 42-yard touchdown on 4th-and-2 to cut the lead to 27-20 with 2:59 left in the third quarter.

Key Turnover

The Bengals trailed 27-20 early in the fourth quarter with the Chargers in scoring range. Mike Hilton tackled Herbert during a quarterback scramble. Logan Wilson knocked the ball out as Herbert was being tackled and Geno Stone recovered.

That gave Burrow a chance to tie the game. That's exactly what he did. The star quarterback led Cincinnati on a 7-play, 81-yard drive that ended with a 17-yard touchdown to Ja'Marr Chase that tied the game at 27 with 12:21 left.

Up Next

The Bengals have a bye in Week 12. They play the Steelers on Sunday, Dec. 1 at 1 p.m. ET at Paycor Stadium.

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