Chargers stay hot, notch 4 INTs in win over Falcons

ATLANTA — Tarheeb Still intercepted Kirk Cousins twice — including a pick-6 — and Ladd McConkey caught nine passes for 117 yards as the visiting Los Angeles Chargers beat the Atlanta Falcons 17-13 on Sunday. Los Angeles (8-4) won its fifth game in six tries despite being outgained 350-187. Justin Herbert completed 16 of 23 passes for 147 yards for the Chargers, who had four interceptions. Cousins completed 24 of 39 passes for 245 yards as the Falcons (6-6) lost their third in a row. Bijan Robinson ran for 102 yards and a score, while Ray-Ray McCloud caught four passes for 95 yards and Drake London had nine receptions for 86 yards. Trailing 9-7 at halftime, Atlanta took the lead on Younghoe Koo’s 41-yard field goal with 7:23 left in the third. After Los Angeles was forced to punt, Still picked off Cousins for the second time, returning it for a 61-yard touchdown late in the third. Herbert found Josh Palmer for the two-point conversion, giving the Chargers a 17-10 lead. Cousins connected with McCloud for a 60-yard pass, leading to Koo’s 26-yard field goal that trimmed the Chargers’ lead to 17-13 heading to the fourth. Los Angeles gave the ball back on a failed fake punt attempt. After advancing to Los Angeles’ 13-yard line, Cousins was intercepted for a third time, this time by Marcus Maye in the end zone with 9:11 left in regulation. Following another Chargers punt, Derwin James’ interception on Los Angeles’ 24-yard line with 47 seconds left iced the win. On its opening drive, Atlanta advanced to the Chargers’ 17-yard line, where Koo missed a 35-yard field goal, his fourth miss in the last three games. From there, Lorenzo Carter forced Hassan Haskins’ third-and-1 fumble, which Clark Phillips recovered and returned to the Los Angeles 29-yard line. The Falcons cashed in on the takeaway as Robinson’s 2-yard rush gave the hosts a 7-0 lead with 3:59 left in the opening quarter. After Cameron Dicker’s 45-yard field goal cut into the Chargers’ deficit, Still picked off Cousins on Los Angeles’ 34-yard line on the first play of the second quarter. Herbert’s 20-yard pass to McConkey helped advance the ball to Atlanta’s 31, where Arnold Ebiketie sacked Herbert. Dicker made a 51-yard field goal at the 11:08 mark of the second quarter to trim Atlanta’s lead to 7-6. Dicker’s 34-yard field goal capped the scoring in the first half with 58 seconds left, giving Los Angeles a 9-7 lead at the break. –Jack Batten, Field Level Media