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One after another, Chargers players referred to the atmosphere created by Bolts Believers at Qualcomm Stadium Sunday as postseason-like, and the last-second win by San Diego’s team assured that Philip Rivers and company will host at least one playoff game in the coming weeks.

Nate Kaeding’s 52-yard field goal with three seconds left Sunday allowed the Chargers to capture their ninth-straight victory, one that combined with a Denver loss to Oakland gave San Diego their fourth-consecutive AFC West title and fifth in the last six seasons.

Before the Chargers even kicked off against the Bengals, Sunday’s early results assured that San Diego would reach the postseason as at least a Wild Card. Losses by Jacksonville Thursday night and Miami and the Jets Sunday put the Chargers in the playoffs. Then Norv Turner’s team went out and beat a team that will likely join them in the AFC playoff field.

“We beat a really good team today and accomplished the first goal on our list: winning the division,” offensive tackle Marcus McNeill said. “It was a fun one to be a part of.”

San Diego’s 27-24 win over the Bengals (9-5) also put them in the driver’s seat to attain the AFC’s number two seed, which would give the Chargers a bye in the first round of the playoffs. If the Chargers win either of their final two games or New England loses either of it’s last two, San Diego will be the number two seed.

The victory also pushed the Chargers’ record this season to 11-3, 6-2 against teams with winning records. In the process, the Chargers extended their NFL record of consecutive December victories to 17, a streak that dates back to 2005.

Kaeding’s game-winner capped an emotional that saw the Chargers build a lead, lose it and re-gain it in the final seconds. The two teams combined for 773 yards of total offense as big plays decorated the afternoon. Despite turning the ball over twice and losing players to injuries, the Chargers held on and kept their winning streaks alive.

“It was just a great game,” Turner said. “It was a physical game. It was back and forth. When we had miscues that let them back in the game, no one blinked. We just kept playing.”

The Chargers struck first when Antonio Gates scored a three-yard touchdown pass on the opening drive of the game. Cincinnati responded with a field goal and then took the lead early in the second quarter on a 49-yard touchdown catch by Chad Ochocinco. After the score, Johnson went to a knee for several seconds as he paid homage to Bengals receiver Chris Henry, who passed away Thursday morning.

Vincent Jackson went over the 1,000-yard mark Sunday for the second-consecutive year and established a new career high with his eighth and ninth touchdown catches of the season. His eighth came midway through the second quarter, and the 21-yard grab put the Chargers up 14-10. Just before halftime, the Bengals kicked a 25-yard field goal to bring it to 14-13 at the break.

Cincinnati’s high-powered offense racked up 407 yards Sunday, including a season high 313 through the air by Carson Palmer. The Chargers gave up some big plays on defense, but they also made their share that allowed San Diego to keep pace.

Late in the third quarter, Quentin Jammer stepped in front of Ochocinco and came away with his third interception of the season, one that gave the Chargers the ball on the Bengals’ 40 yard line. Two plays later, Rivers found Jackson from 34 yards out to push the lead to eight, and after a defensive stop, Kaeding hit a 33-yard kick to make it a 24-13 game.

“I think it was one of our best all around games because we got put in situations where we had to come out and make some big plays and we did,” linebacker Shawne Merriman said. “We got it done. To win a game you just need to win by one point. We did that. That’s all that matters.”

Cincinnati’s defense helped them keep it close as well. The tide turned early in the fourth quarter when Philip Rivers was intercepted by Bengals linebacker Dhani Jones deep in Chargers territory. A 26-yard run by Ochocinco set up a two-yard touchdown catch by Laveranues Coles to bring the score within a field goal.

With 57 seconds remaining, Graham hit a 34-yard field goal that tied the game at 24. The game appeared to be headed to overtime, but Rivers and company had one final drive left in him, and Kaeding had one huge kick. With no timeouts remaining, the Chargers drove 46 yards in 51 seconds, culminating with Kaeding’s 52-yard towering shot that stayed inside the right upright and gave San Diego another victory.

“I can’t say enough about our guys, the way they competed, the way they stayed in it,” Turner said. “To go down and get the field goal, it’s a great kick. It’s a great job by our offensive football team using every second of the clock and getting Nate a chance. And he made a heck of a kick.”

Rivers recorded his fifth 300-yard game of the season with his 308-yard performance Sunday. He completed passes to nine different receivers. Tim Dobbins, who forced a key fumble that set Cincinnati back 20 yards on the game-tying drive, led the club with 11 tackles.

The Chargers will put their nine-game winning streak on the line in just five days as they travel to Nashville to play the Titans on Christmas night. The Tennessee has won seven of their last games and are still alive in the playoff hunt, while the Chargers still have a lot to play for as well.

“It’s going to be another big one,” linebacker Stephen Cooper said. “Getting the bye would be huge for us and we want to keep our momentum going as well. Tennessee is a physical, talented and we’re traveling on the short week. We’ve got a challenge but we’ll be ready.”