Trailing by 10 points against their bitter AFC West rivals, the Los Angeles Chargers were in desperate need of a score to steal some momentum right before halftime.
With Los Angeles facing a third down from inside the red zone, rookie wide receiver Keandre Lambert-Smith came up with one of most timely touchdowns he’ll ever score, and it just so happened to also be the first of his professional career.
On the play, Justin Herbert dropped back into the pocket before stepping into the rush. He placed a ball in the end zone between two defenders, right where Lambert-Smith could haul it in and then protect himself from those aforementioned defensive backs.
The clutch snag was the first touchdown of Lambert-Smith’s career and was also just the second reception for the rookie. He hauled in a pass for a single yard during the Chargers’ win over Miami on Oct. 12, and the former Auburn and Penn State receiver has only been targeted four times total. Thus, there is a chance this could serve as a springboard for Lambert-Smith to build a connection with Herbert and begin to make a consistent impact in the NFL.
Spending four years at Penn State before finishing his career with Auburn in 2024, Lambert-Smith was productive with the Nittany Lions but posted career highs in yards (981) and touchdowns (8) with the Tigers.
Parker is currently the sports editor for the Enterprise-Journal in McComb, Mississippi. He's a graduate from Mizzou who has experience covering the Tiger football and basketball beats for SB Nation, and he's worked for a variety of sports news outlets in the past.
