Bengals vs Chargers Match Player Stats: Full Box Score, Top Players and How the Chargers Won 34-27
The Bengals vs Chargers match player stats tell the story of one of the most exciting games of the 2024 NFL season. On Sunday night, November 17, 2024, the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Chargers met at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The Chargers took a big early lead, the Bengals came all the way back, and the game was decided in the final seconds. In this article, we look at the numbers for every important player, walk through the game step by step, and explain why the Chargers left the field with the win.
What Was the Final Score of the Bengals vs Chargers Game?
The Los Angeles Chargers won the game 34-27. The Chargers lost a 21-point lead in the third quarter, but J.K. Dobbins ran 29 yards for a touchdown with only 18 seconds left to win it.
The win was important for Los Angeles. Dobbins scored two rushing touchdowns, and the Chargers moved to 7-3 with their fourth win in a row. For Cincinnati, the loss was painful. The Bengals fell to 4-7, and their chances of making the playoffs became very small.
How Did the Game Go, Quarter by Quarter?
The game had two very different halves. The Chargers controlled the first half, and the Bengals controlled most of the second half.
First half. Cincinnati kicker Evan McPherson made two field goals, but the Chargers scored much more. Justin Herbert threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to tight end Will Dissly, and later Quentin Johnston caught a 26-yard touchdown pass to make the score 14-6 early in the second quarter. Before halftime, Dobbins scored on fourth down near the goal line, and Cameron Dicker kicked a 19-yard field goal on the last play of the half. The score at halftime was 24-6.
Third quarter. The Chargers added another field goal to go ahead 27-6. At that point, most fans probably thought the game was over. Then the Bengals woke up. Cincinnati scored 21 points in a row on three straight drives in the second half.
The first touchdown came when Burrow found Ja’Marr Chase on fourth-and-goal in the middle of the third quarter. The second one was even more exciting. On fourth-and-2, Burrow threw to a wide-open Tee Higgins for a 42-yard touchdown. That made it 27-20.
Fourth quarter. The Bengals defense made a big play right away. Linebacker Logan Wilson forced a fumble from Herbert, and safety Geno Stone recovered it. Cincinnati then drove 71 yards in seven plays, and Burrow threw a 17-yard touchdown to Chase to tie the game at 27.
After that, the Bengals had two good chances to take the lead. They did not score on either one. We explain what happened in the section about why the Bengals lost.
Here is a simple scoring summary:
| Quarter | Bengals | Chargers |
|---|---|---|
| 1st and 2nd (halftime) | 6 | 24 |
| 3rd | 14 | 3 |
| 4th | 7 | 7 |
| Final | 27 | 34 |
How Did Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert Play?
Both quarterbacks played well, but in very different ways. Burrow threw the ball a lot and put up big numbers. Herbert threw less, but he made big plays with his arm and his legs.
| Player | Team | Completions/Attempts | Passing Yards | Touchdowns | Interceptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Burrow | Bengals | 28/50 | 356 | 3 | 0 |
| Justin Herbert | Chargers | 17/36 | 297 | 2 | 0 |
Burrow completed 28 of 50 passes for 356 yards and three touchdowns, while Herbert completed 17 of 36 passes for 297 yards and two touchdowns.
Burrow was at his best when his team needed him most. Two of his three touchdown passes came on fourth down, which is a very risky time to throw. The long pass to Higgins was also special for his career. It was his 27th touchdown pass of 40 yards or more, which was the most of any NFL player since he joined the league in 2020. Burrow also helped with his legs late in the game. He ran 14 yards up the middle to turn a third-and-nine into a first down.
Herbert did not complete a high number of his passes, but many of his completions went for big gains. He was also the Chargers’ best runner that night. Herbert led his team with 65 rushing yards. His one mistake was the fourth-quarter fumble, which helped the Bengals tie the game. But when the game was on the line, Herbert made two perfect throws on the final drive.
Who Were the Top Receivers in the Game?
Tee Higgins was the top receiver for the Bengals, and rookie Ladd McConkey was the top receiver for the Chargers.
| Player | Team | Catches | Yards | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tee Higgins | Bengals | 9 | 148 | 1 |
| Ja’Marr Chase | Bengals | 7 | 75 | 2 |
| Ladd McConkey | Chargers | 6 | 123 | 0 |
| Will Dissly | Chargers | Touchdown catch of 29 yards | 1 | |
| Quentin Johnston | Chargers | Touchdown catch of 26 yards | 1 |
Tee Higgins had a great comeback night. He was back from an injury and had his first 100-yard game of the season, with nine catches for 148 yards. Those 148 yards tied for the second-highest total of his career in one game.
Ja’Marr Chase did not have huge yardage, but he scored twice. He finished with seven catches for 75 yards and two touchdowns. He also reached some big personal goals in this game. Chase passed 1,000 receiving yards for the season in the first quarter, and he became only the sixth player in NFL history to reach 1,000 yards in each of his first four seasons. He also became the fifth-fastest player ever to reach 40 receiving touchdowns, doing it in his 56th regular-season game.
Ladd McConkey was the hero of the final drive for Los Angeles. The rookie caught six passes for 123 yards, the most of his career at that time, including catches of 28 and 27 yards on the winning drive.
Will Dissly and Quentin Johnston each caught one touchdown pass. Dissly’s 29-yard score was his longest catch since Week 1 of the 2022 season, when he played for Seattle. For Johnston, it was his sixth touchdown of the year and his third game in a row with a score.
How Did the Running Backs Do?
Chase Brown carried the ball the most, but J.K. Dobbins made the biggest runs.
| Player | Team | Carries | Rushing Yards | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Brown | Bengals | 22 | 86 | 0 |
| J.K. Dobbins | Chargers | 11 | 56 | 2 |
| Justin Herbert | Chargers | 5 | 65 | 0 |
| Gus Edwards | Chargers | 6 | 27 | 0 |
Brown ran 22 times for 86 yards for Cincinnati. He was a steady part of the offense but did not reach the end zone.
Dobbins had 56 yards on 11 carries and two touchdowns, and his longest run was the 29-yard game winner. The Chargers also got help from Gus Edwards, who added 27 yards on six carries.
Which Defensive Players Stood Out?
Several defenders on both teams made important plays, even though the two offenses scored 61 points together.
For the Chargers, linebacker Daiyan Henley led all players with 11 tackles, and Tuli Tuipulotu had 1.5 sacks. A sack is when a defender tackles the quarterback before he can throw.
For the Bengals, safety Geno Stone had 9 tackles, and defensive end Joseph Ossai had one sack. Stone also recovered the fumble that Logan Wilson forced. It was Wilson’s first forced fumble of the season and Stone’s first fumble recovery as a Bengal.
The last defensive play of the night belonged to a Chargers star. Derwin James Jr. jumped at the goal line and knocked down a Hail Mary pass that was going right to Tee Higgins on the final play. A Hail Mary is a long, hopeful pass thrown at the end of a game.
What Do the Team Stats Tell Us?
The team stats show a very close game, and the Bengals actually had better numbers in some areas.
| Team Stat | Bengals | Chargers |
|---|---|---|
| Total yards | 452 | 435 |
| First downs | 24 | 24 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 1 |
| Third-down conversions | 5 of 17 | 3 of 11 |
| Fourth-down conversions | 3 of 3 | 1 of 1 |
| Penalties | 8 for 56 yards | 5 for 50 yards |
Cincinnati gained 452 total yards to the Chargers’ 435, both teams had 24 first downs, and only the Chargers lost the ball with a turnover. The Bengals were also perfect on fourth down, going three for three.
So how did the team with more yards and fewer turnovers lose? The answer is that the Bengals struggled on third down and did not get points when they were close enough to kick. In football, yards only matter if they turn into points.
Why Did the Bengals Lose After Such a Big Comeback?
The Bengals lost mainly because of two missed field goals and one fast drive by the Chargers at the very end.
After the game was tied, a roughing the passer penalty cancelled a Burrow interception, and the Bengals moved into field goal range. But McPherson missed from 48 yards, and the score stayed 27-27 with 7:31 left. Cincinnati got another chance late. With under two minutes left, McPherson tried a 51-yard kick, and it also went wide to the left.
Both teams then had quick three-and-outs, which means they could not get a first down in three plays. That gave the ball back to Herbert with less than a minute left. The Chargers needed only four plays and 26 seconds to go 84 yards.
There was also an interesting choice on the winning run. Because Cincinnati had only one timeout left, Dobbins could have stopped inside the 10-yard line so the Chargers could kick a field goal on the last play. Instead, he decided to go for the touchdown, and it worked.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor was proud of his players but clearly hurt by the result. He said his team had real chances to finish the game and did not take them, and that the Chargers “just made one more play than we did.”
What Did This Game Mean for Both Teams?
This game helped push the Chargers toward the playoffs and hurt the Bengals’ playoff hopes badly. The Chargers kept winning under head coach Jim Harbaugh in his first year with the team, and they went on to make the playoffs that season. The Bengals played better in the final weeks of 2024 but finished just outside the playoff spots, and many fans still look back at this game as one of the losses that cost them.
The game also added a new chapter to a long history between these teams. The Bengals and Chargers have played 39 times, including two playoff games, and the Chargers have won 24 of those games to Cincinnati’s 15.
Conclusion
The Bengals vs Chargers match player stats show a game that was almost perfectly even. Joe Burrow threw for 356 yards and three touchdowns, Tee Higgins caught nine passes for 148 yards, and Ja’Marr Chase scored twice and reached big career milestones. On the other side, Justin Herbert threw for 297 yards and ran for 65 more, Ladd McConkey had 123 receiving yards, and J.K. Dobbins scored the winning touchdown with 18 seconds left. In the end, the Bengals came back from 21 points down but could not turn their late chances into points, and the Chargers made the last big play to win 34-27.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was the best player in the Bengals vs Chargers game?
Many fans point to Joe Burrow, who threw for 356 yards and three touchdowns while leading a 21-point comeback. For the Chargers, J.K. Dobbins was the hero with two rushing touchdowns, including the 29-yard winner. Ladd McConkey also deserves credit for his 123 yards and two big catches on the final drive.
Why did Evan McPherson’s misses matter so much?
The score was tied 27-27 in the fourth quarter, so either field goal would have given the Bengals the lead. McPherson missed from 48 yards and then from 51 yards, and both kicks went wide left. Those misses gave the Chargers one more chance, and they used it to score the winning touchdown.
Where can I find the full official box score for this game?
You can check trusted sports websites such as ESPN, CBS Sports, and The Football Database for the complete box score. The official team websites of the Bengals and the Chargers also have game recaps, notes, and quotes. These sources list stats for every player, including kickers, punters, and return players.
