SportsDirect Inc. staff
Dec 1, 2013
Bengals 17, Chargers 10: Andy Dalton overcame a wretched first half to throw for 190 yards and the go-ahead touchdown as visiting Cincinnati dealt a blow to San Diego's playoff hopes.
BenJarvus Green-Ellis rushed for a season-high 92 yards and a touchdown and A.J. Green had five catches for 83 yards and a score to keep the Bengals (8-4) two games in front of Baltimore atop the AFC North. Dalton, who threw for only 41 yards with an interception in the first half, finished 14-of-23 for 190 yards.
Philip Rivers threw for 252 yards with one touchdown and one interception for the Chargers (5-7), who fell a game behind Miami and Baltimore for the second wild card in the AFC. Rookie Keenan Allen had eight receptions for 106 yards.
The teams traded touchdowns on back-to-back possessions in the first four minutes of the second quarter as Green-Ellis scored on a 4-yard run for the Bengals and Rivers countered by hitting backup tight end Ladarius Green for a 30-yard scoring strike over the middle.
Cincinnati's Dre Kirkpatrick intercepted Rivers to halt a drive by San Diego and the Bengals turned it into seven points when Dalton capped a 75-yard march with a 21-yard TD pass to A.J. Green to make it 14-7 with 1:42 left in the third quarter. Mike Nugent's 46-yard field goal extended the lead to 10 with 9:16 to play before Nick Novak kicked a 48-yarder for San Diego with 4:42 left, but the Chargers never got the ball back.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Dalton has surpassed 3,000 yards in each of his first three seasons while Green-Ellis scored his first touchdown since Week 5 versus New England. ... Allen had his fifth 100-yard game and is one shy of tying LaDainian Tomlinson's franchise-rookie mark of 59 receptions. ... Cincinnati limited the Chargers to 91 yards rushing on 24 attempts.