Chargers vs. Titans: Justin Herbert Leads The Game With Amazing Volleyball Interception
With a 17-14 victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, the Los Angeles Chargers improved to 8-6. With only 48 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Justin Herbert directed the game-winning drive, travelling 52 yards in five plays to set up the 43-yard Cameron Dicker field goal that kept Los Angeles in the lead.
The Chargers’ victory keeps them in contention for an AFC playoff spot, while the Titans’ loss opens the door for the Jacksonville Jaguars to win the AFC South.
Justin Herbert Leads The Game With Amazing Volleyball Interception
In the second quarter of their Week 15 clash, Titans defensive backs Roger McCreary and Joshua Kalu combined on an interception of Justin Herbert near a volleyball court, drawing attention from NFL viewers:
This is impossible. There’s no window whatsoever. Justin Herbert threw it hard enough to create one. That ball could’ve gone through a car wash and there wouldn’t be a drop of water on it. pic.twitter.com/waT8ZSBHZK
— Anand Nanduri (@NanduriNFL) December 19, 2022
For the first time since Dec. 26, 2021, Herbert threw two interceptions, but he still managed to complete 28 of 42 passes for 313 yards on Sunday. He caught eight of nine targets for 86 yards, with Keenan Allen being his favourite.
Legality Of The Interception
The legality of the play was in some doubt because the NFL has numerous regulations governing the hitting of balls and other similar activities. The play has a number of elements, including:
Justin Herbert is special man.
For him to make that throw after such a frustrating offensive game shows exactly what kind of player he is.
— Daniel Wade (@dantalkssports) December 19, 2022
— According to the CBS broadcast, had McCreary hit the ball forward, it would have been an unlawful forward pass because he had control of the ball despite not having “possession.”
— If McCreary had batted the ball, it wouldn’t have fallen within those restrictions. The ball was laterally passed to Kalu by McCreary, as evidenced by the replay. No “tip drill” then.
— There is disagreement over whether a player can legitimately throw a pass even though they do not have true possession, which requires being two feet down and in control. Not so in this instance.
Justin Herbert set an NFL record on the Chargers' game-winning drive Sunday, needing 294 pass yards vs. the Titans to top 4,000+ yards.
He did that on the last drive, making him the first player in history to throw for at least 4K in each of his first three seasons. pic.twitter.com/gvmWTMUhaa
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) December 19, 2022
Gene Steratore, a former NFL official and a rules commentator for CBS, outlined the reasons why the play was acceptable:
The play was upheld because the ball was laterally lateraled back into play rather than forward (although there is considerable controversy over that, too). The fourth quarter saw a 7-7 tie between the Titans and the Chargers.
Whatever the situation, the No Fun League at least briefly had the “rule of cool” in place.
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