What the Key Players Said About the Game-Deciding Play

In the battle between the fifth and sixth picks in the 2020 NFL draft, Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa looked like he had the last word — until he didn't.

The Dolphins had a 27-26 lead after Tagovailoa's TD pass to Darren Waller in the final minute and looked like they were almost ready to slam the door before Justin Herbert kept it open with some wizardry and delivered the play of the game.

Herbert shook off what appeared like a sure Jaelan Phillips sack around midfield, which would hav e all but clinched the victory for Miami, moved the ball from one hand to another before finding Ladd McConkey in the flat, and McConkey did the rest, juking rookie safety Dante Trader Jr. on his way to a 42-yard gain to set up the game-winning field goal.

The Dolphins defeated the Chargers in the 2023 season opener after Tagovailoa threw a late touchdown pass to Tyreek Hill and the defense then clinched it with pressure on Herbert, and it looked like we were in for a repeat after L.A. returned the kickoff to its 41-yard line.

The Dolphins got major pressure on Herbert on first down, but he somehow was able to get rid of the ball in the vicinity of a receiver to avoid a sack. And then came the second-down play, the kind of play that would make anybody think back to that 2020 draft and maybe wish the Dolphins had taken Herbert at number 5 overall instead of Tua because only a QB of Herbert's size and strength would make the play.

Regardless, that one play turned an almost certain Dolphins victory into an eventual defeat.

WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT THE PLAY

Dolphins OLB Jaelan Philips

(On the final play by Chargers QB Justin Herbert) – “He made a great play.”

(You made a great rush on that final play and he’s just big and hard to get down I guess, right?) – “Yeah, it’s just disappointing. Disappointing.”

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel

"Part of winning football games is executing your best technique and fundamentals at the end of the game. There’s not one player or play that dictates the game. It’s an accumulation of that, but when you’re in a position to win a football game and you have a quarterback in your grasp, I think the play previous and that Ladd (McConkey), we have a potential sack. A potential sack in that situation is monumental because then they have to burn a timeout because then they're behind the sticks and now they have no timeouts, which can affect however you get points. We were unable to come up with that sack. I think there was a couple people that had opps. He got the ball out, and then it comes back to more fundamentals and technique where you're bringing your feet in space. We had an overrun tackle, so very controllable and it's a tough one to experience because it's at the root of the techniques and fundamentals we been talking endlessly about, how to bring ball carriers down. That was a big play in the game. It didn't decide the game; however, it could have been the decider for us if we make plays that I think we have the ability to across the board."

Chargers QB Justin Herbert

"It's a race against time. A throwaway is better than a sack, and I was doing my best to just get the ball off. The play before, they played good coverage, got the ball off, thankfully, saved some time. Then the next play went through my reads, had to step up in the pocket, and Ladd did a great job just running across the middle, making a play and just extending the game."

Chargers WR Ladd McConkey

"I could see Justin (Herbert) left, right, switching the ball, whatever. So for him to even find me and hit me, it was an amazing play by him.”

Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh

"I mean, that play will be burned in my mind till they throw dirt over top of me. Justin Herbert back to throw, defender wrapped around him. He's able to just mighty man it and shake it off and hit Ladd McConkey. Ladd does his stop, fly by and starts getting that necessary yardage, and here comes Zion Johnson flying ahead of Ladd, I mean just the type of effort, the want-to, the great desire to win, he gets that block shield and there's another 20, another 20 yards. Yeah, I'm going to remember that play until they throw dirt over top of me. That's how great I feel about that."

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