How Chargers kicker Dustin Hopkins withstood injury and came up with game-winning field goal vs. Broncos

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The Los Angeles Chargers eked out a 19-16 win over the Denver Broncos in overtime on “Monday Night Football,” thanks in no small part to 12 points from kicker Dustin Hopkins, who was injured on the first kick.

While the makes aren’t impressive on paper — he hit from 37, 31, 35, and hit the game-winner from 39 — Hopkins collapsed to the ground on several of them and was in visible pain throughout the game.

According to the Chargers Twitter account, Hopkins was questionable to return with a hamstring injury.

Throughout the game, Hopkins wore a huge leg wrap on the sidelines to maintain heat and pressure. But, despite any rehabilitative measure, he was playing hurt all night.

Hopkins’ pain was evident on the final kick.

MORE: Dustin Hopkins’ overtime field goal lifts Chargers to ‘Monday Night Football’ win

The Chargers kicker downplayed the achievement after the game.

“I just wanna say thank you to my lord and savior Jesus Christ,” he began to Lisa Salters in the on-field interview. “I got so much to be thankful for, apart from football, so when something like this happens, I’m blessed either way. But to be on the good side of that is obviously — it feels a lot better. But yeah I was hurtin’ pretty good. So we’ll go back inside and try to figure out what that looks like.”

Hopkins also mentioned feeling a pop after the first kick. Chargers coach Brandon Staley told reporters it was a “cramp” or a “strain.”

“You can’t say enough about him hanging in there,” Staley told reporters after the game. “It just says so much about him as a competitor.”

All things told, it was a hero’s night for Hopkins, who is in his second year with the Chargers after spending significant time with Washington. Before that, he played with the Saints and Bills. Unsurprisingly, Hopkins got a game ball from Staley in the Chargers locker room after the game. 

In a game of defense and special teams, the grit of Hopkins was the difference. Staley, who is notorious for going for it on 4th down, could have elected to sideline his kicker and rely on his star QB Justin Herbert to win the game for the Chargers. But, Hopkins proved time and time again he was up for the challenge, despite being in noticeable pain.

The Chargers are now 4-2 and are keeping pace with the Chiefs in the AFC West despite some ups and downs to start the season. And this week, it rested on the leg of a journeyman kicker.

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