Watch: Chargers recover fumble after wild sequence on punt return

Los Angeles punted on a fourth-and-11 with 8:55 remaining in the fourth quarter, and Dallas returner KeVontae Turpin fell down after teammate Jalen Tolbert was blocked into him.

Chaos ensued even though all the Cowboys had to do was stay away from the football and they would have gained possession.

Replay showed that when the ball hit the turf following Jake Scott's punt, it wasn't touched by Turpin. However, Tolbert rushed toward the ball anyway and was knocked down, touching it moments before it was by Los Angeles.

Because of the massive miscue, the Chargers essentially gained 50 yards on the fourth down play, going from a punt on their own 30-yard line to a first-and-10 at the Cowboys 20-yard line.

A defensive pass interference penalty further aided Los Angeles as it tied the game at 17 on a Justin Herbert touchdown pass on fourth-and-goal with 7:11 remaining.

The Chargers offense wasn't doing anything before the gaffe. Following an opening drive touchdown, they punted on four consecutive drives, had a turnover on downs and were forced to settle for a field goal in a goal-to-go situation.