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 "The name of the game is winning,'' said quarterback Philip
Rivers. "We've done that for the last three weeks.''
The Chargers stayed hot, thumping the Jacksonville Jaguars, 33-14,
on Sunday.
Despite a microscopic 42 rushing yards, the Chargers sped past the
Jaguars because of Rivers.
He threw for 377 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. In
completing 29 of 39 attempts he had a passing rating of 130 for the
second straight game.
"The way we are throwing the football,'' Chargers coach Mike McCoy
said, "I think we are going to keep throwing it.''
Wide receiver Eddie Royal caught two of Rivers' scoring tosses.
Royal and Keenan Allen each exceeded 100 receiving yards.
Nick Novak added four field goals as the Chargers won their third
straight contest.
Jaguars rookie quarterback Blake Bortles made his first NFL start
and the early returns were positive. Bortles, the third overall pick
in the 2014 draft, had a touchdown and two interceptions while
connecting on 29 of 37 passes for 253 yards. The loss was the
seventh consecutive defeat for Jacksonville dating back to 2013 and
fourth in a row this season.
"I know we lost so I don't know what's positive or not,'' Bortles
said. "I didn't play very well and did some stupid things.''
The Chargers remained undefeated at home by outscoring Jacksonville
23-0 in the final 31 minutes.
"When you work hard, you play hard and it doesn't come your way,
there's disappointment,'' Jaguars coach Gus Bradley said.
In the third quarter, wide receiver Malcom Floyd beat Demetrius
McCray in single coverage to put the Chargers ahead 24-14 on a
24-yard touchdown pass from Rivers.
The Jaguars trailed by 10 with nine minutes left in the third
quarter when Brandon Flowers came up with the Chargers' first pick
of the year. The Chargers took over at the Jacksonville 40-yard-line
but settled for Novak's second field goal and a 27-14 lead.
With a minute left in the second quarter, Royal caught his second
touchdown pass, and fourth in two games, from 43 yards. That gave
the Chargers a 17-14 advantage in a back-and-forth first half.
Bortles, 22, wasn't blinking in battling Rivers, going 15 of 18 with
a touchdown in the first two quarters.
He threw his third NFL touchdown pass of two yards to tight end Nic
Jacobs, promoted from the practice squad earlier in the week, for a
14-10 second-quarter edge. One play before connecting with Jacobs,
Bortles hit Allen Hurns on a 44-yard pickup.
"There's a reason why he was picked where he was,'' McCoy said.
"He's a talented young quarterback.''
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Minutes earlier, Rivers spotted Royal isolated against Jaguars'
linebacker Geno Hayes. Royal easily slipped past Hayes over middle
for a 47-yard score, putting the Chargers ahead 10-7.
The Jaguars took a 7-3 lead early in the second quarter on Toby
Gerhart's 1-yard plunge. It capped a 10-play, 68-yard drive, with
completions to Cecil Shorts III (13 yards) and Clay Harbor (22
yards) being the key gains.
For Jacksonville it was the team's first rushing touchdown since
Nov. 24, 2013.
The Chargers made some adjustments and the sledding got tougher for
Jacksonville.
"Once we settled down, we played the way we should,'' McCoy said.
That includes Allen, the second-year receiver who had career highs
in receptions (10) and yards (135). Even if he neglected to collect
his first scoring pass of the season.
"They all work in practice so you never know who is going to get the
ball,'' Allen said. "If I have to be 'Leroy Decoy' I'll be that guy
if we're winning.''
The Chargers are doing plenty of that. That their doing with a
pedestrian running attack speaks to their offensive depth.
"We weren't as balanced today because we were rolling in the passing
game,'' Rivers said.
NOTES: Chargers rookie CB Jason Verrett was an inactive with a sore
hamstring. ... The Chargers don't have a date for ILB Manti Te'o's
return. He suffered a foot injury in last week's win over Seattle.
... Chargers S Eric Weddle could be facing an NFL fine after
receiving an unnecessary roughness penalty on Nic Jacobs' scoring
catch. Weddle knocked Jacobs' helmet off in the end zone. ...
Jaguars WR Allen Robinson started in place of rookie Marqise Lee,
who is out with a hamstring injury. ... Jaguars WR Chris Shorts III
left with a knee injury.
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