Chargers beat Bengals 34-27 on Dobbins' late TD after squandering 21-point lead

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Jim Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers finally have their signature win.

Even if it ended up being a white-knuckle finish.

The Chargers squandered a 21-point third-quarter lead Sunday night against the Cincinnati Bengals before J.K. Dobbins rushed for a 29-yard touchdown with 18 seconds remaining to give Los Angeles a 34-27 victory.

“Great team win! It was awesome,” a boisterous Harbaugh said as he started his postgame remarks.

After its offense stalled for most of the second half, Los Angeles went 84 yards on four plays in 26 seconds on the decisive drive. Ladd McConkey, who had six receptions for a career-high 123 yards, had 28- and 27-yard grabs before Dobbins scored on a run up the left sideline for his second touchdown of the game.

With Cincinnati down to one timeout, Dobbins could have gone down inside the Cincinnati 10-yard line and set up a field goal by Cameron Dicker on the final play. However, the mentality before first-and-10 after the Bengals called their second timeout was to score if the opportunity was there.

“Well, first, Bradley Bozeman was, like, ‘F it, go score.’ I’m like, `All right, I hear you," said Dobbins, who had 56 yards on 11 carries. "So I went to the sideline, I asked (running backs) coach (Kiel) McDonald, like, `You want me to score here? He said, ‘F it, go score.’ So knew I was going to score. Like when we lined up, I just had a feeling I was going to go score. And that’s what happened.”

Joe Burrow got Cincinnati to the Chargers 43 in the final seconds with a 27-yard completion, but his final two throws fell incomplete. Derwin James Jr. leaped at the goal line and batted down a Hail Mary headed right for Tee Higgins on the final play to preserve the Chargers' fourth straight win.

Justin Herbert passed for 297 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed for 65 yards as the Chargers improved to 7-3 for the first time since 2018.

The defense allowed a season-high 27 points and had its string of games holding opponents to 20 points or fewer snapped at nine, but it got a win over a top-flight offense. Burrow leads the league in passing yards and touchdowns while Ja'Marr Chase is the NFL's leading receiver.

“We battle tested, and guys in this locker room want to win, man," James said.

It was another excruciating loss for the Bengals (4-7). They have five defeats by seven points or fewer.

Joe Burrow passed for 356 yards and three touchdowns, while Chase had 75 yards on seven catches and two touchdowns.

Kicker Evan McPherson had two chances in the fourth quarter to give the Bengals the lead, but was wide left from 48 and 51 yards.

“We’ve played some really good football teams, and we’ve just got to find a way to finish,” coach Zac Taylor said. “I keep saying that, and obviously we’re a play away every time I say it. I’ve still got the confidence that we can get this thing done.”

Cincinnati trailed 27-6 in the third quarter but scored on three straight drives in a 13-minute span to tie the game. The first two scores came on fourth-down plays.

Burrow hit Chase on a slant on fourth-and-goal from the LA 4 to get the Bengals within two scores. Higgins then got behind Elijah Molden and Ja’Sir Taylor on fourth-and-2 for a 42-yard touchdown to make it 27-20.

Higgins — who missed the last three games with a quad injury — had nine receptions for 148 yards and a TD

The Bengals tied it at 27 with 12:21 remaining when Chase hauled in a 17-yard TD.

Burrow was 16 of 30 for 245 yards during the three scoring drives and two possessions that ended with missed field goals.

“I just think it was a tough loss. The first half didn’t go our way. We fought back, had our opportunities to seal the deal, and we didn’t,” said Burrow, who completed 28 of 50 passes.

After Dicker's 53-yard field goal early in the second half put the Chargers up by three touchdowns, Los Angeles' offense had three three-and-outs, a turnover and 47 net yards in five series before its touchdown in the final minute.

Herbert completed nine of his first 10 passes but was eight of 26 the rest of the way. He was two of 12 for 30 yards on the five aforementioned series.

“The defense did a great job getting stops and they got us the ball back when we needed it,” Herbert said. “We knew we had to go make a play. It came down to the final drive. Ladd made a couple big catches and J.K. with that huge run. Props to the guys for sticking through it.”

The Chargers jumped out to a 24-6 lead at halftime. Herbert connected with Will Dissly for a 29-yard touchdown. It was the longest reception for the tight end since Week 1 in 2022, when he had a 38-yard score for Seattle.

Cincinnati got another field goal before Quentin Johnston caught a 26-yard TD from Herbert to make it 14-6 less than four minutes into the second quarter. It is the sixth touchdown for Johnston and the third straight game he has reached the end zone.

Los Angeles extended its lead to 24-6 at halftime with two scores in the final five minutes. After Dobbins scored on fourth-and-goal, Cameron Dicker hit a 19-yard field goal on the final play of the half.

Bengals: CB DJ Turner II left with a shoulder injury in the third quarter. ... OT Orlando Brown Jr. missed his third straight game due to knee and leg injuries, and defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins (illness) was inactive.

Chargers: CB Cam Hart suffered a concussion in the second half and did not return. LB Denzel Perryman left in the fourth quarter due to a groin injury. ... LB Khalil Mack (groin) was inactive. It was the first game Mack has missed since joining the Chargers in 2022.

Bengals: After a bye, host Pittsburgh on Dec. 1.

Chargers: Host Baltimore on Monday, Nov. 25 in the third matchup between coach Jim Harbaugh and his older brother, John.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Los Angeles Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins (27) jumps into the end zone to score a rushing touchdown past Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Josh Newton (28) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) throws as he is tackled by Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley (0) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) talks to Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow after an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Los Angeles Chargers tight end Will Dissly (81) celebrates his touchdown catch during the first half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) throws a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) throws a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) is pressured by Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Los Angeles Chargers tight end Will Dissly (81) is tackled by Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt (29) and linebacker Germaine Pratt during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston (1) does a back flip in the end zone after his touchdown catch during the first half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Los Angeles Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins (27) leaps into the end zone to score a rushing touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Los Angeles Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins (27) scores a rushing touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Cincinnati Bengals cornerback DJ Turner II (20) breaks up a pass intended for Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston (1) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, right, celebrates his touchdown catch with wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) catches a touchdown past Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Cam Hart (20) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) celebrates his touchdown catch during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Los Angeles Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins (27) runs back to the bench after scoring a rushing touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh, right, celebrates after a rushing touchdown by running back J.K. Dobbins (27) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Los Angeles Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins (27) jumps into the end zone to score a rushing touchdown past Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Josh Newton (28) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Jamahl Mosley was fired as coach of the Orlando Magic on Monday, paying the widely expected price after the team blew a 3-1 series lead and got eliminated by the Detroit Pistons in Round 1 of the Eastern Conference playoffs, a person with knowledge of the move told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity pending the team announcement.

It was Orlando’s third consecutive first-round playoff exit, and easily the most disappointing. Not only did the eighth-seeded Magic lose all three chances to upset the top-seeded Pistons, but one of those games saw Orlando have a 24-point second-half lead at home and still lose. Orlando missed 23 consecutive shots in that Game 6 loss on Friday, getting booed by fans when it was over.

That loss probably was the one that sealed Mosley’s fate, even though the loss in Game 7 at Detroit on Sunday was the one that ended the season.

Mosley is the third-winningest coach in Magic history, his 189 wins behind only Brian Hill (267) and Stan Van Gundy (259). He inherited a team that was in the early stages of a rebuild, with Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs entering the league as rookies in his first season and then the Magic winning the lottery to draft Paolo Banchero No. 1 overall before Mosley’s second season.

Orlando won 22 games in Mosley’s first season, improved to 34-48 in Year 2 and has been .500 or better in all three seasons since — 47-35 in 2023-24, 41-41 last season and 45-37 this season.

That makes the Magic one of 10 teams — Boston, Cleveland, Denver, Houston, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota, New York, Oklahoma City are the others — to have not finished below .500 in any of the last three seasons.

It wasn’t enough. And with much of the team’s core — Banchero, Wagner, Suggs, Desmond Bane and more — under contract for the foreseeable future, the Magic clearly felt the best way to shake things up was to bring in a new coach.

“It’s been absolutely amazing journey with these guys,” Mosley said. “Their ability to grow, communicate ... we’re going to fight until the final horn goes off. And that’s what you’ve seen for a majority of the five years.”

It is a roster in need of upgrading in some ways, shooting perhaps foremost among them after Orlando was only 27th in the 30-team league in 3-point percentage this season. Injuries have also been a major issue for the Magic, including in the playoffs — with Wagner unable to play in the final three games, all losses, against Detroit.

Mosley’s job security was a talking point for much of the season, especially amid reports that he and Banchero were not on the same page. In March, Banchero acknowledged that were some moments of conflict — but thought Orlando was better for going through that.

“We’re both competitors,” Banchero said when asked then about his relationship with Mosley. “There were times where I was frustrated and I wasn’t playing as well as I think I should be. But it never became me pointing the finger at him or being disrespectful. It was all constructive; he’s talking to me, I’m talking to him. And winning, it cures everything.”

Evidently, there wasn’t enough winning.

Mosley had two seasons left on an extension that he and the Magic agreed on in March 2024. The team lauded his “preparation, work ethic, ability to connect with the players and passion he brings to the job every day brings positive results, both on the court and off” when announcing that deal.

Barely two years later, he and the Magic were parting ways.

Only seven coaches have been in their current jobs longer than Mosley was with Orlando — Miami’s Erik Spoelstra (hired in 2008), Golden State’s Steve Kerr (2014), the Clippers’ Tyronn Lue (2020), Oklahoma City’s Mark Daigneault (2020), Minnesota’s Chris Finch (2021), Indiana’s Rick Carlisle (2021) and Dallas’ Jason Kidd (2021).

Mosley spent 15 years as an assistant in Denver, Cleveland and Dallas — and was often mentioned as a candidate for head-coaching jobs around the league over that span — before Orlando hired him. He had a long relationship with Magic basketball operations president Jeff Weltman, who first took note of Mosley when they worked together with the Nuggets.

Mosley was the 14th coach in Magic history, the 15th if counting Billy Donovan — who accepted the job in 2007, then had second thoughts and returned to the University of Florida. Donovan just left the Chicago Bulls after six seasons as their coach, which sparked speculation that he could be the frontrunner in Orlando if the Magic indeed would be moving on from Mosley.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley shouts to his team during the first half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series against the Detroit Pistons Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley directs his team against the Detroit Pistons during the first half in Game 6 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series, Friday, May 1, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley shouts at referee Curtis Blair (74) during the second half in Game 5 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series against the Detroit Pistons Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)