News

The Chargers won their second in a row and the 400th game all-time in franchise history, returning home on a short week and rolling to a 37-10 win over the Buffalo Bills. The Chargers scored first and led 16-0 at the half, but early in the third quarter the Bills kicked a field goal and then 92 seconds later recovered a ball in the end zone that had slipped out of Philip Rivers’ hands and suddenly they trailed just 16-10. The Bills stopped the Chargers in three plays, but facing a 4th-and-2 from their own 30, Norv Turner called for a fake punt and up-back Eric Weddle sprinted 10 yards for a first down. Seven plays later, Rivers threw a two-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Gates and the Chargers pulled away for the win.

Game Rewind: San Diego Chargers vs. Buffalo Bills

Antonio Gates scored the Chargers’ first touchdown of the game…he amassed 38 yards on the drive, passing Gary Garrison (7,562) for fourth on the team’s all-time list for career scrimmage yards…Gates finished the day with 7,606 career yards. Gates caught a second touchdown pass in the third quarter, the 75th of his career…he became the 27th player, and only the second tight end (Tony Gonzalez) in NFL history with 75 career touchdown catches. It was Gates’ 14th career multi-touchdown game and first of 2011.

Eric Weddle intercepted his seventh pass of the season in the first quarter…it’s tied for the fourth-most picks in a season in team history…Antwan Barnes’ pressure of quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick contributed toward the interception, which bounced off the back of a defending Na’il Diggs deep down the middle…it was Barnes’ 8th pressure this season, second on the team behind Shaun Phillips’ nine…Barnes later had a sack, his team-leading seventh of the season.

Weddle’s interception led to a Mike Tolbert touchdown on the ensuing drive…it was Tolbert’s 18th career rushing touchdown, giving him sole possession of seventh on the team’s all-time list.

Philip Rivers completed his first nine passes.

Rivers threw three touchdown passes, increasing his season total to 22 and giving him at least 21 touchdown passes in all six seasons as a starter for the Chargers (2006-11).

Rivers also appeared to have scored on a nine-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, however the score was nullified by a holding penalty...three plays later, however, he threw his second touchdown pass of the day to Gates...Rivers set up the score with three consecutive passes of 16, 17 and 13 yards to Vincent Jackson, and after the penalty, he hit Randy McMichael with a 17-yard catch to the three.

Ryan Mathews set up a second-quarter field goal with a game-long 37-yard run...it was his third straight game with a run of 30 yards or longer. Mathews finished the game with 114 yards rushing, his third-straight 100-yard game…he became the first Chargers running back since LaDainian Tomlinson (2007) with at least three-straight 100-yard games.

Nick Novak’s 47-yard field goal in the second quarter was his 10th of 40 yards-or longer this season and gave the Chargers a 16-10 lead…it moved Novak into a tie for the most field goals of 40-or-longer in a season.

Corey Liuget’s eight-yard tackle for loss on the previous defensive series helped give the ball back to the Chargers for the field goal drive.

Mike Scifres helped the Chargers hold their 16-0 lead at half by knocking consecutive punts out of bounds at the Bills’ 12 and five-yard line late in the second quarter.

Malcom Floyd’s first quarter catch for 14 yards on a 2nd-and-18 was his first catch this season that didn’t go for a first down…each of his previous 23 catches had gone for a first down or a touchdown.

Steve Gregory’s interception return for a touchdown (26 yards) late in the third quarter was the first of his career and put the Chargers up 30-10.

Patrick Crayton scored his first touchdown of the season on a 26-yard catch-and-run on a 3rd-down play in the fourth quarter for the Bolts’ final points...earlier, Crayton’s five-yard catch on a 3rd-and-4 helped sustain the Bolts’ game-opening touchdown drive.

Antoine Cason led the team with three passes defensed.

Nick Hardwick started his 100th career game.

Takeo Spikes played in his 200th...Spikes had four tackles against the Bills to go over 100 for the second year in a row and the 11th time in his career.

Marcus Gilchrist sealed the win with a late fourth-quarter interception.