San Diego, CA (SportsNetwork.com) – Philip Rivers threw for three touchdowns
and 377 yards, leading the San Diego Chargers to a 33-14 victory over the
Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
Rivers completed 29 of his 39 passes, while Eddie Royal caught two touchdown
passes and racked up 105 yards on five catches and Keenan Allen had a career-
high 135 yards on 10 grabs.
Nick Novak made four field goals for the Chargers (3-1), who won their third
straight game.
Blake Bortles, who was selected third overall in May’s draft, made his first
career start, throwing for 253 yards on a 29-of-37 completion rate with a
touchdown and two interceptions in the loss.
Toby Gerhart rushed for 32 yards on 10 carries with a touchdown and Nic Jacobs
added a receiving score for Jacksonville (0-4).
The Chargers scored the final 23 points of the game.
Royal hauled in a 43-yard bomb down the left sideline and cut towards the
middle of the field before finding the end zone for a 17-14 Chargers lead
heading into halftime.
San Diego raced out of the break with a nine-play, 80-yard scoring drive.
Allen’s 22-yard catch followed by Antonio Gates’ 17-yard reception gave the
Chargers a first down at Jacksonville’s 24. After two incompletions, Michael
Floyd hauled in a 24-yard pass for a 10-point lead.
On Jacksonville’s next drive, Bortles’ pass, intended for Cecil Shorts, was
picked off by Brandon Flowers, leading to Novak’s 34-yard field goal with six
minutes to play in the third. Shorts left the game with a hamstring injury
after the interception.
Novak split the uprights again, this time from 23 yards out for a 30-14 lead
early in the fourth.
Eric Weddle picked off Bortles with less than four minutes remaining and
Novak’s 37-yard field goal sealed the win.
Jacksonville fumbled on the second play of the game. Gerhart raced 10 yards up
the middle before Jarret Johnson forced the ball loose and Donald Butler
recovered it at the Jacksonville 30. The Chargers were not able to convert,
though, after going three-and-out.
After the Jaguars turned the ball over on downs near midfield, Rivers’s 16-
yard completions to Allen and Royal set up an eventual 33-yard field goal from
Novak with 3:44 left in the first.
Jordan Todman returned the ensuing kick to the Jaguars’ 32. Bortles found
Shorts on third down for a 13-yard gain to extend the drive into Chargers
territory and Clay Harbor hauled in a 22-yard strike for a first down at San
Diego’s 15. Gerhart capped the 10-play, 68-yard trek with a 1-yard plunge into
the end zone for a 7-3 lead early in the second.
Rivers hit Allen for a 24-yard pass over the middle, then connected with Royal
for a 47-yard touchdown.
The Jaguars, however, regained the lead on their next drive. Allen Hurns got
behind the secondary and caught a 44-yard pass to set up Jacobs’ touchdown
catch from two yards out with 7:17 left in the second quarter.
Game Notes
Rivers threw a touchdown pass in his 24th straight game, setting a new team
record … The Jaguars have been outscored 149-58 this season … San Diego
has won four straight games against Jacksonville.
