Justin Herbert dominates the Week 13 battle vs Joe Burrow: The game grades
By Simon Brady
In an otherwise lackluster early window of NFL action, there was plenty of build-up and excitement for the Los Angeles Chargers traveling to take on the Cincinnati Bengals. Two explosive, young offenses led by two of the best young signal-callers in football. Two teams now both at 7-5 vying for wild card spots in a head-spinning AFC playoff race. And, two beautiful uniforms to top it off. About everything you could ask for.
Now there was plenty of brutal clock management, penalties, and turnovers. It was far from perfect, as expected. But as far as it being built up as a very exciting watch, it lived up to the billing. Chargers maybe played their best first twenty minutes of football in twenty years jumping out 24-0 with 10:12 remaining in the first half. Half!
Though Cincinnati would not go away in front of their Bengal faithful. They stormed back with 22 unanswered points of their own and all of Bolt fans collectively began hyperventilating in unison, praying this wasn't another classic Charger "Chargering¨.
Ultimately in the money quarter, an unforced Joe Mixon bobble and gift-wrapped early Christmas present to Los Angeles defensive back Tevaughn Campbell for a scoop and score swung the tidal wave of momentum swings back to the Chargers. They would pull away from there for a critical, damn-near must-win victory on the road.
The biggest subplot of this one was obviously the quarantine NFL draft headliners, the number one and six picks of 2020 going head to head. While Tua Tagovailoa has come on strong off an injury these last few weeks, these second-year quarterbacks definitely have the makings of being two of the very best for years to come from that class. And, each of them showed many flashes of brilliance to back that up again today.