Third-and-8. Game in the balance. And Derwin James Jr. was watching from the sideline.
The latest jarring turn in this jarring season, and it came late in the fourth quarter of the Los Angeles Chargers’ 24-22 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Saturday night.
Kicker Cameron Dicker had knocked through a 53-yard field goal to put the Chargers ahead by a point with 5:26 remaining. The Bills took over at their own 25-yard line, and they moved past midfield in three plays.
With 2:56 remaining, quarterback Josh Allen set up in shotgun formation at the Chargers’ 45-yard line. The Bills needed at least 5 yards to get into field goal range for kicker Tyler Bass. They faced a third-and-8.
Buffalo came out in 11 personnel — three receivers, one tight end and one running back. The Chargers matched with a variation of their nickel package — one interior defensive lineman, three edge rushers, two inside linebackers and five defensive backs.
To this point in the game, James had been the Chargers’ primary slot defender in their nickel package. On the previous play, James lined up in the slot and blitzed Allen off the edge, forcing an errant throw. In between snaps, though, James was subbed out. Essang Bassey came on as the slot defender. And on this third down, he was matched up with Bills star receiver Stefon Diggs.
Allen took the snap. Bassey was in off coverage. Diggs ran an out route to the right sideline. Bassey read it. He was in Diggs’ hip pocket. Allen was looking at Diggs from the moment he hit the bottom of his drop. Allen fired a missile. Bassey dove. The ball whizzed past his fingers and into Diggs’ belly. First down. Field-goal range. And James had a front seat to it all.
Diggs stepped out of bounds three feet from where James was standing. James was watching the play next to the first-down marker.
The Bills ran six more offensive plays, including a third-and-4 conversion. Allen found receiver Khalil Shakir, throwing off his back foot to beat the Chargers’ zero blitz. Bass connected from 29 yards to put the Bills ahead. And that was the game.
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