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          Justin Herbert TD pass, Michael Davis pick-six put Chargers ahead of Bucs

          • Shelley Smith, ESPN ReporterOct 4, 2020, 05:42 PM
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              Shelley Smith joined ESPN in January 1997 after working part-time as a reporter for the network since 1993. She has covered Super Bowls, the NBA Finals, the BCS championship game, the Stanley Cup playoffs, golf and tennis championships and more.
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          Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, in his third career start -- first on the road, looked every bit the veteran.

          On the Chargers' fifth play of their game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Herbert dropped back and heaved the ball 53 yards to Tyron Johnson, just called up from the practice squad, for a game-tying touchdown. Herbert took the hit after the throw, but looked up in time to see the score.

          Herbert's touchdown pass to Johnson had an air distance of 61.1 yards (the distance the ball flew from Herbert's hands to the receiver's), the longest touchdown pass by anyone in the past two seasons, per NFL Next Gen Stats.

          Another practice squad success story, Michael Davis, put the Chargers ahead with a 78-yard pick-six of Tom Brady. Davis stepped in front of the Buccaneers' receiver at the Chargers' 22-yard line and took it in for the score to put the Chargers up 14-7.

          It was Brady's fourth pick-six thrown in his last six games and second he's thrown this season. Brady has never thrown three pick-sixes in a season.

          Herbert struck again late in the third quarter, launching a 72-yard touchdown to Jalen Guyton right to give the Chargers a 31-28 lead.

          The score came after Brady and the Bucs erased a 17-point deficit to take a 28-24 lead.