Still makes 2 picks, returns one for TD as Chargers hand Falcons third straight loss, 17-13

ATLANTA (AP) — In a game neither team seemed eager to win, the Los Angeles Chargers relied on their defense — especially rookie cornerback Tarheeb Still — to hand Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons their third straight loss.

Still returned an interception 61 yards for a touchdown, his second pick of the game and one of four thrown by Cousins as the Chargers overcame numerous issues to knock off the Falcons 17-13 on Sunday.

The Chargers (8-4) surrendered five sacks to a team that had an NFL-low 10 coming into the game, not to mention fumbled the ball away in their own territory to set up Atlanta’s only TD. There also was a fake punt that didn’t work and a largely listless offense that managed just two first downs in the second half.

Los Angeles coach Jim Harbaugh had no complaints.

“It’s a beautiful thing,” he said. “We’re witnessing complementary, winning football.”

Still, a fifth-round pick out of Maryland, made the 36-year-old Cousins looked like a rookie when the Falcons (6-6) faced a fourth-and-5 at the Los Angeles 40 late in the third quarter.

Still read the play all the way, stepping in front of Darnell Mooney and sprinting untouched down the sideline in front of the Falcons' bench for the touchdown that put the Chargers ahead to stay.

Still now has three interceptions in his first season as a pro.

“The thing that impresses me the most is how locked in he is for a young player,” Harbaugh said. “I mean, they can get a little drift in their preparation as the season goes on. But he has been locked in.”

Still also had an interception on the first play of the second quarter, a sign of what was to come for Cousins in an awful performance that is sure to raise questions about whether the Falcons should turn to their first-round pick, Michael Penix Jr.

Falcons coach Raheem Morris insisted that a quarterback change is not in the works.

“We've got no issues with that man,” he said of Cousins. “I don’t think that’s gonna be the issue around here. That guy’s carried us. That guy’s got us to the point. We’re 6-6 and first place in the division. We've still got everything in front of us.”

Atlanta's last two possessions both ended with Cousins' interceptions when a touchdown could have pulled the game out — only the second four-pick game of his long career. The other came when he played for Washington in a 45-14 loss to the New York Giants on Sept. 25, 2014.

There was an ill-advised pass to no one in particular in the back of the end zone that was grabbed by Marcus Maye, who had just joined the Chargers a few days earlier after being claimed on waivers. Cousins put both hands to his helmet in disbelief.

With the Falcons driving into Chargers territory for one last shot, Cousins delivered a throw over the middle that was picked off by Derwin James Jr. at the Los Angeles 24 with 40 seconds remaining.

“I've got to play better,” Cousins said. “I'm so disappointed right now. It hurts. I feel like that was a game we had a chance to win if I played at the standard I expect to.”

The Falcons nearly doubled up the Chargers in total yards, 350-187. Justin Herbert threw for just 147 yards, and the Chargers were limited to 56 yards on the ground without top back J.K. Dobbins.

The only points produced by the Los Angeles offense were three field goals by Cameron Dicker.

“Obviously not the way that we want to play,” Herbert said. “We won because of the defense today. We've got to do a better job as an offense.”

Cousins finished 24 of 39 for 245 yards. Younghoe Koo kicked a pair of field goals, but also missed a 35-yarder after battling hip issues during the week.

Harbaugh could've been facing a lot of questions for calling a fake punt that failed to produce a first down.

But his defense bailed him out.

With the Chargers facing fourth-and-4 at their own 36 early in the fourth quarter, punter JK Scott took the snap but rolled to his right and threw a pass to tight end Stone Smartt.

The Falcons weren't fooled. Kevin King delivered a hit that knocked Smartt out of bounds a yard shy of the first-down marker.

“I thought it was a good time to catch them by surprise,” Harbaugh said. “They did a good job defending it. We didn’t exactly run it the way we practiced it and it just came up short. That's on me. Those decisions, they’re good when they’re right."

Maye snuffed out Atlanta's drive with his pick in the end zone, so the fake punt didn't hurt the Chargers.

Chargers: Dobbins (knee sprain) was placed on injured reserve Saturday, forcing the Chargers to go with a backfield-by-committee approach that wasn't very effective. ... WR Ladd McConkey went out late in the game with a knee injury after making nine catches for 117 yards.

Falcons: K Riley Patterson was signed by the Falcons as a precaution in case Koo couldn't go, but the newcomer wasn't needed.

Chargers: Stay on the road to face the AFC West-leading Kansas City Chiefs (11-1) next Sunday night.

Falcons: At Minnesota (10-2) next Sunday.

This story has been corrected. A previous version misspelled Tarheeb Still's first name.

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Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. (3) hugs Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) after an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson runs against the Los Angeles Chargers during the first half of an NFL football game against the on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 in Atlanta.(AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. (3) celebrates after an interception during the second half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. (3) celebrates after an interception during the second half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. (3) celebrates after an interception during the second half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. (3) celebrates with teammates after an interception during the second half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Danny Karnick)

Los Angeles Chargers safety Marcus Maye (24) intercepts the ball thrown by Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) during the second half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Los Angeles Chargers safety Marcus Maye (24) intercepts the ball thrown by Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) during the second half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London (5) runs the ball after making a catch against Los Angeles Chargers safety Tony Jefferson (23) during the second half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Los Angeles Chargers safety Marcus Maye (24) intercepts the ball thrown by Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) during the second half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) looks to pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 in Atlanta.(AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) warms up before an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) passes during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Tarheeb Still (29) celebrates an interception during the first half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 in Atlanta.(AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Tarheeb Still (29) returns an interception for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Tarheeb Still (29) celebrates after a pick six during the second half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

LOWVILLE, N.Y. (AP) — Heavy snowfall and numbing temperatures kept parts of the U.S. in a deep freeze Sunday as the Thanksgiving holiday weekend drew to a close. Some snowmobilers and skiers reveled in the wintry conditions, while flinty fans prepared for the NFL game in Buffalo.

In the remote Tug Hill region of upstate New York, where lake-effect snow off Lake Ontario can dump several feet of snow at a time, there was up to 46 inches (117 centimeters) in the Barnes Corners area.

“We just keep digging out,” said Kevin Tyo, a local businessman. “We were out all day yesterday, plowing.” Like many locals, he has a plow attached to his truck for winter, “and I have a tractor with a bucket, and a snowblower.”

His advice? “If you’re not used to it, stay home. If you’re out, slow down.”

Lake-effect snow is caused when warm, moist air is blown across a body of water and mixes with colder, drier air, creating narrow bands of often heavy snow on land. Pileups can be quick: The U.S. military’s Fort Drum, near hard-hit Watertown, New York, issued an alert saying up to 19 inches (48 centimeters) of daytime snow could fall Sunday.

Commercial vehicles remained banned in both directions of I-90 in western New York along a nearly 134-mile stretch to the Pennsylvania line.

In Buffalo, officials with the NFL’s Bills had sought stadium snow shovelers for the season, including ahead of Sunday night’s game against the San Francisco 49ers. The team said it would pay $20 per hour and provide food and hot drinks.

The lake-effect storm began hitting the area Saturday near the Bills’ stadium in Orchard Park, New York. Snow was falling near the stadium hours ahead of the game, and the state department of transportation and others planned “intensive” plowing of nearby roads until late in the game. The Bills often play in such conditions at home late in the season.

A light snow continued falling on Highmark Stadium as crews began clearing the last remnants of snow off the tarp protecting the field about 3 1/2 hours before the Sunday night game. Several shovelers were clearing the stairways, while most seats remained snow-covered. Crews used plows to clear the stadium walkaways. The parking lots surrounding the stadium were already cleared and salted.

Another one to two feet (about 30 to 60 centimeters) of snow were possible in western New York, and another two to three feet were possible in northern New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul's office said Sunday.

Christine Schintzius set out Friday on clear roads with her 4- and 8-year-old sons and 12- and 15-year-old nieces from Wales, New York, southeast of Buffalo. They planned to attend a hockey tournament in Cleveland but instead found themselves snowbound for 19 hours inside a Honda Pilot.

They faced seemingly endless lines of stopped traffic, first on Interstate 90 near the New York-Pennsylvania border for nine hours, and again on Route 5 in Pennsylvania for 10 hours, until residents plowed them out.

“It was packed, there was tons of people, tons,” Schintzius said by phone Sunday.

While stuck on Route 5, Schintzius never turned off her car, afraid it wouldn’t start again in the cold. Two truckers checked on them during the night. In the morning the police checked in, along with a resident who walked the line of cars handing out muffins and making sure the stranded drivers had water.

“Thankfully, all of my kids, my nieces, all travel well,” said Schintzius, who had packed a cooler with lunch meats, snacks, yogurt and fruit. "And luckily I had still basically a full tank of gas.”

When they were finally free of the backup Saturday, Schintzius took a roundabout route home, avoiding the worst of the snow that was still falling.

“I was worried, like, I’m not getting stuck in that ever again,” she said.

A blast of Arctic air last week brought bitter temperatures of 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit below average to the Northern Plains, the National Weather Service said. Frigid air was expected to move over the eastern third of the U.S. by Monday, with temperatures about 10 degrees below average.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro signed a disaster emergency proclamation Saturday and said parts of Erie County in the northwest received nearly 2 feet (61 centimeters) of snow, with more expected through Monday night. Due to the snow emergency in the City of Erie, City Hall will be closed to the public on Monday and Tuesday.

Parts of Michigan were battered by lake-effect snow as bands rolling off Lake Superior buried parts of the Upper Peninsula under 2 feet (61 centimeters) or more, said Lily Chapman, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

There were 27 inches (69 centimeters) of snow northeast of Ironwood, in the Upper Peninsula’s western reaches. Over a foot (30.5 centimeters) could fall over the eastern Upper Peninsula through Monday morning, Chapman said Saturday.

A light dusting of snow fell across eastern Kentucky and West Virginia, making a beautiful backdrop for Christmas decorations and good practice for road crews.

Over the next few days, lows in the Appalachians are expected to dip between 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit (-12 to -7 degrees Celsius).

Thompson contributed from Buffalo. Ron Todt in Philadelphia, Sophia Tareen in Chicago, Susan Haigh in Norwich, Connecticut, John Wawrow in Orchard Park, New York, and Holly Ramer in Concord, New Hampshire, contributed.

Light snow covers the sidewalk in Lowville, N.Y., on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Cara Anna)

People walk in lake-effect snow on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Lowville, N.Y. (AP Photo/Cara Anna)

A stadium worker arrives at Highmark Stadium for a Sunday Night Football game between the Buffalo Bills and the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Snow is cleared from a Highmark Stadium parking lot for a Sunday Night Football game between the Buffalo Bills and the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Snow falls in Lowville, N.Y., on Sunday Dec, 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Cara Anna)

Utility crews fuel up during a snow storm in Lowville, N.Y., on Sunday Dec, 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Cara Anna)

Vehicles are covered during a snow storm in Lowville, N.Y., on Sunday Dec, 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Cara Anna)

Icicles form over a flag during a snow storm, in Lowville, N.Y., on Sunday Dec, 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Cara Anna)

A vehicle drives on a snowy street in Lowville, N.Y., on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Cara Anna)

A person clears the snow from the sidewalk in Lowville, N.Y., on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Cara Anna)

A person clears the snow from the sidewalk in Lowville, N.Y., on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Cara Anna)

Snow is cleared from the streets in Lowville, N.Y., on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Cara Anna)

Snow falls on Highmark Stadium and surrounding parking lots in Orchard Park, NY., Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. The Buffalo Bills play the San Franciso 49ers at Highmark Stadium on Sunday Night Football, Sunday, Dec 1, 2024 at 8:20p. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Drivers take advantage of the lull between lake-effect snowfalls in Lowville, N.Y., on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Cara Anna)

A person clears the snow from the sidewalk in Lowville, N.Y., on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Cara Anna)