Chargers Can’t Overcome First Quarter Interceptions

With the undefeated Super Bowl Champion Packers at Qualcomm this Sunday, the Chargers had a chance to get a signature win and retake sole possession of first place in the AFC West.

They looked to be off to the right start when they received the opening kickoff. Rivers put a great drive together, and finished it off with a 23 yard touchdown pass to Vincent Jackson.

The Packers came right back and tied the game with a 5 yard Jermichael Finley touchdown reception.

It looked to be a shootout between two high powered offenses until a familiar bug bit the Chargers again.

Rivers threw interceptions which were returned for touchdowns on each of the next two possessions. The first interception was off of a deflection. It did not initially look as though the pick would be returned, but Charlie Peprah refused to be tackled and found the end zone. The second interception was read all the way by Tramon Williams, and there was nobody in his path once he had it.

On their third attempt at the drive, the Chargers finally got it right. They went 66 yards in six plays, and Mike Tolbert ran the ball eight yards into the end zone.

Green Bay then came out and failed to score for the last time until the fourth quarter. They advanced 42 yards on seven plays, but a sack by Antwan Barnes on third down brought up fourth and two. The Packers went for it and turned the ball over to the Chargers on an incompletion.

On the next San Diego possession, Nick Novak hit a career high 52 yard field goal.

The score was 21-17, and the Chargers were in decent shape despite two pick sixes early in the game.

With 5:48 on the clock, Green Bay looked to make it a two score game before the half. They would do just that on a 79 yard drive ending in a Jordy Nelson touchdown. Nelson caught the ball as he was going to the ground around the one yard line, and he was able to roll over once to get into the end zone.

The Packers drained all but 18 seconds off the clock on the drive, and the Bolts took a knee and went into the locker room down 28-17.

The third quarter saw the teams trade extended drives. The Packers ended theirs with a field goal, and the Chargers capped theirs with an Antonio Gates touchdown reception.

Green Bay looked to be running away with the game early in the fourth quarter. Aaron Rodgers threw two touchdowns with a San Diego three and out sandwiched in between.

The Bolts were down 45-24, and would need to scramble if they were to get back in the game. They did exactly that.

Starting at their own 20, the Chargers drove 80 yards in 2:55 and scored on another Vincent Jackson touchdown reception.

With just over seven minutes remaining, the Chargers decided to go for an onside kick. The ball took some crazy bounces and hit two Packer players, but it ended up in Darrell Stuckey’s arms. It only took Rivers three throws this time to find Vincent Jackson in the end zone. Jackson finished with 141 yards and three touchdowns on seven receptions.

The score was now 45-38, and Phillip Rivers looked to be orchestrating a classic fourth quarter comeback.

The Bolts had over six minutes left on the clock, so they decided to kick to Green Bay and trust their defense to get the ball back. The defense came up big holding the Packers to a three and out.

Rivers and Co. retook the field looking to even the score for the first time since the first quarter. They gained one first down on a pass interference call, but were held to fourth and 17 and decided that punting would be the best course of action.

Green Bay was able to pick up one first down on a penalty, but the Chargers used all three of their timeouts and stopped the Packers from picking up another one.

After a Green Bay punt, Rivers began to take the ball down the field. On the seventh play of the drive, however, he was picked off by Charlie Peprah yet again.

Rodgers took a knee and the Chargers went to 4-4.

However the Chargers feel coming off of this loss, they need to forget it and move on as they play the Raiders on Thursday. Raider fans will look to do what Packer fans did and outnumber Charger fans in their own stadium. The Raiders will look to get Carson Palmer into a rhythm and hope to have Darren McFadden back.  The season is only half way over, but the game has all the makings of a must win. Whoever wins will stay in first place, and may have sole possession depending on what the Chiefs do on Sunday against the Broncos.

The Chargers have thrown some opportunities away this year, but the quality of the AFC West still gives them a chance. Let’s see if they can take advantage of it.