INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 08: Mike Williams #81 of the Los Angeles Chargers can’t hold on to a fourth quarter touchdown catch against Isaiah Johnson #31 of the Las Vegas Raiders at SoFi Stadium on November 08, 2020 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
The Chargers had their hearts broken at the end of the game . . . again.
The Los Angeles Chargers have made it a habit of finding ways to lose close games in brutal fashions. After collapses against the New Orleans Saints and Denver Broncos, the Chargers found themselves in a battle with the Las Vegas Raiders, down 31-26 and in need of a game-winning drive to steal the victory.
The Chargers had a pair of opportunities to score on a goal-to-go situation in the final seconds, first seeing Mike Williams fail to haul in a touchdown catch, leaving one second on the clock. Justin Herbert rose to the occasion, tossing a perfect strike to Donald Parham Jr. for what the refs ruled a game-winning touchdown.
The call was sent to replay, and Chargers’ fans everywhere had their hearts ripped out when the video revealed that Parham bobbled the ball on the way down, leading to an inevitable overturn for an incomplete pass.
This loss is absolutely devastating for the Chargers, who had to find a way to get this game if they had any realistic plans of making a playoff run this season. Los Angeles is now 2-6 despite brilliant play from Herbert and solid performances for the early portions of games, a combination of facts that could lead to a red hot seat for head coach Anthony Lynn.
This ending also leads to the totally valid question of whether or not the Chargers are simply cursed this season. Los Angeles has found new and seemingly more bizarre ways to lose games, joining the Atlanta Falcons in that regard as the poster children of late-game collapses in 2020. Those two teams will meet in Week 14 in Los Angeles so it could lead to a universe-defining question of which franchise is more cursed this year.