The Chargers' season sat in peril, with Los Angeles trailing 24-17 in Arizona and the clock ticking down.
Justin Herbert hit Austin Ekeler for a 1-yard TD with 18 seconds remaining. But head coach Brandon Staley didn't blink, electing to go for a two-point conversion instead of kicking an extra point to send the game to overtime.
"We came here to win," Staley said. "We're just living week to week. It was about this game for us and pouring into this game and doing what we felt like was going to win us the football game."
Win, they did.
Herbert hit tight end Gerald Everett wide-open across the goal line on a beautiful two-point play to earn the 25-24 victory.
"Smooth like chocolate milk," Staley said, describing the play.
The Chargers offense struggled early to get in gear, opening with three consecutive punts before starting to roll in the second and third quarters. Herbert, who completed 35 of 47 passes for 274 yards and three TDs, and the offense cooled off again in the fourth quarter after the Cardinals retook the lead.
But they put it together for the final drive, punctuating the day with the two-point call.
"I imagined that we were going to go for it because that's kind of just how aggressive we play," Herbert said. "I love that about our coach."
The victory broke a two-game losing streak and was huge for the Chargers' playoff chances. At 6-5, their postseason hopes remain alive, sitting ninth in the AFC, just one game out of the final spot. A loss would have likely doomed their chances.
"At this point, all games for us are like a must-win," Ekeler said, . "You see the rest of the AFC winning games ... we got to catch up a few."
