Saints rally for OT victory over Chargers

Drew Brees passed for a touchdown and ran for one and the host New Orleans Saints withstood four touchdown passes by rookie Justin Herbert to beat the Los Angeles Chargers 30- 27 in overtime late Monday night.

Brees completed 33- of- 47 passes for 325 yards and drove the Saints ( 3- 2) to a tie- breaking 36- yard field goal by Wil Lutz on the first possession of overtime. New Orleans overcame a 20- 3 deficit.

Herbert completed 20- of- 34 for 264 yards, but his 5- yard completion to Mike Williams came up a yard short on fourth down at the Los Angeles 49 to end the game.

The Chargers ( 1- 4) lost their fourth straight since Herbert, the No. 6 pick in the 2020 draft, took over for Tyrod Taylor as the starter.

Williams caught two TD passes, Keenan Allen caught one before leaving the game because of a back injury and Hunter Henry caught the other TD. Williams had 109 yards on five receptions.

Lutz’s 53- yard field goal trimmed Los Angeles’ 20- 10 halftime lead to a touchdown late in the third quarter.

On a third- and- 14, Brees found Jared Cook for a 41- yard touchdown that tied the score at 20 with 11: 21 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Herbert threw a 64- yard touchdown to Williams to give the Chargers a 27- 20 lead with 3: 40 left.

Brees answered with an eight- play, 73- yard drive that ended with Taysom Hill’s 9- yard touchdown run that tied the score with 52 seconds left.

Herbert drove Los Angeles to the New Orleans 32, but Michael Badgley’s 50- yard field- goal attempt missed when the football hit the right upright and fell into the end zone.

After Herbert threw a 3- yard touchdown to Henry for a 20- 3 lead following a Brees interception, the Saints’ QB ran one yard for a TD with 14 seconds left in the half to pull the Saints within 20- 10 heading into the break. ( Reuters)