FOXBOROUGH, Mass. >> Justin Herbert threw three touchdown passes and the Los Angeles Chargers clinched their second playoff appearance in three seasons with a 40-7 victory over the New England Patriots on Saturday.

The win also secured the fourth postseason appearance in Jim Harbaugh’s five seasons as an NFL coach, adding to the three he made during his stint with the San Francisco 49ers.

Herbert finished 26 of 38 for 281 yards to become the third player in NFL history with at least 3,000 passing yards and 20 touchdown passes in each of his first five seasons. He joins Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning and Russell Wilson.

Ladd McConkey had eight catches for 94 yards and pulled in TD throws of 6 and 40 yards. With a 10-yard reception in the second quarter he passed 1,000 yards receiving for the season, making him the third Chargers rookie receiver to reach that milestone.

JK Dobbins rushed 19 times for 76 yards and a TD.

The Patriots have lost six straight games, their second such losing streak of the season. They are now 2-14 the last two seasons at home.

New England quarterback Drake Maye finished 12 of 22 for 117 yards and a touchdown. He became the first rookie quarterback in franchise history with a TD pass in eight straight games. But he was sacked four times, and a second-quarter fumble marked his eighth straight game with at least one turnover.

Los Angeles outgained New England 428-181 for the game.

Maye briefly left the game to be evaluated for a head injury following a blow to his helmet in the first quarter.

Bengals 30, Broncos 24, OT >> Joe Burrow threw his third touchdown pass to Tee Higgins with 1:07 left in overtime, and Cincinnati kept its slim playoff hopes alive with a wild win over Denver.

Following a Broncos punt, Burrow completed a 31-yard pass to Higgins to the Denver 3, then went back to the lanky receiver for the game-ending play. Higgins finished with 11 receptions for 131 yards.

Cade York had a chance to win it for the Bengals with about three minutes left in overtime, but his 33-yard field goal bounced off the left upright. Denver then went three-and-out, including a Bo Nix incompletion on third down, handing the ball right back to Cincinnati (8-8).

It was the Bengals’ first win this season against a team with a winning record. They need another victory in their final game at Pittsburgh and some help from other teams to make it to the postseason for the first time since 2022.

The Broncos (9-7) would have secured an AFC wild card with a victory over the Bengals.