Jacksonville Jaguars vs San Diego Chargers Match Player Stats On Sep 28, 2014

SportsDirect Inc. staff
Sep 28, 2014


Chargers 33, Jaguars 14: Philip Rivers threw for 377 yards and three touchdowns as host San Diego spoiled the first career start of Jacksonville rookie Blake Bortles.

Rivers (29-of-39) connected on a pair of long scoring strikes to Eddie Royal (five catches, 105 yards), and Malcom Floyd added a touchdown catch as the Chargers (3-1) withstood an early flurry by Bortles and the Jaguars (0-4) to post their third consecutive victory. Keenan Allen had 10 receptions for 135 yards - both career highs - and Nick Novak kicked four field goals as San Diego scored the final 23 points.

Bortles, the No. 3 overall pick in this year's draft, misfired on just two of his first 15 attempts and finished 29-of-37 for 253 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions, but Jacksonville's league-worst defense was unable to contain Rivers. Clay Harbor had eight catches for 69 yards and rookie Allen Hurns added five for 68 yards for the Jaguars.

Jacksonville had been outscored 119-27 in its previous 10 quarters entering the contest, but Bortles provided a spark by leading a 10-play drive that Toby Gerhart capped with a 1-yard run for a 7-3 lead early in the second quarter. After Rivers and Royal hooked up on a 47-yard scoring pass, Bortles drove the Jaguars 76 yards in seven plays before flipping a 2-yard pass to tight end Nic Jacobs for a 14-10 edge midway through the second quarter.

From there on, it was all Chargers as Rivers found Royal for a 43-yard scoring pass with 59 seconds in the half and capped an 80-yard drive to open the third quarter with a perfect strike to Floyd down the right sideline to push the lead to double digits. Novak tacked on field goals of 34 and 23 yards for a 30-14 cushion with 13:35 to play and a late 37-yarder to cap the scoring.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Royal became the first San Diego player with two TD receptions of at least 43 yards in one game since Nov. 19, 2000 (Jeff Graham). ... Gerhart's 1-yard scoring run was the first rushing touchdown for the Jaguars since Nov. 24, 2013. ... The Jaguars lost WR Cecil Shorts III (hamstring) and CB Dwayne Gratz (concussion) while Chargers CB Shareece Wright is scheduled to undergo an MRI exam for a possible sprained MCL.