Chargers continue play- off surge
SAN DIEGO BEAT CINCINNATI TO SET UP DENVER CLASH
San Diego, who snuck into the play- offs on the final day of the regular season, took advantage of three second- half turnovers from Andy Dalton to upset Cincinnati 27- 10 on Sunday. And in the National Conference wild card game, the San Francisco 49ers used a 33- yard field goal as time ran out to edge the Green Bay Packers 23- 20.
The wild card round victory puts San Diego in the next round, where they will face the top- seeded Broncos in Denver.
“It was an outstanding team effort,” said first- year Chargers head coach Mike McCoy.
Rivers threw for a modest 128 yards but connected with Ladarius Green for the go- ahead touchdown in the third quarter that began a run of 20 unanswered points for the Chargers.
The loss was the first at home all season for the Bengals, whose post- season misery continues. Cincinnati have not won a playoff contest since 1991.
Dalton’s game took a turn for the worse when it started snowing at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals’ quarterback threw two interceptions and lost a fumble. “It’s disappointing. All the good stuff we did
It’s disappointing. All the good stuff we did this year, to come out and not win this game, it hurts. We didn’t do enough to win.”
Andy Dalton Cincinnati Bengals quarterback
this year, to come out and not win this game, it hurts,” said Dalton, who has lost all three of his post- season starts. “We didn’t do enough to win.”
San Francisco advance
The Chargers struggled on offence in the second quarter on Sunday, failing to even gain a first down. But they took a 1410 lead with 6: 46 remaining in the third by using a combination of passes and runs during a 10- play, 80- yard drive.
Green caught a four- yard pass from Rivers in the corner of the end zone and the Chargers settled for a pair of field goals following two Dalton turnovers to extend the lead.
Ronnie Brown helped seal the victory with a late 58- yard touchdown run.
San Francisco kicker Phil Dawson booted a 33- yard field goal as time expired to lift the 49ers to a win over the Packers, who hosted them in frigid winter conditions at Lambeau Field.
It marked the second consecutive season that the 49ers eliminated the Packers in the play- offs. “It worked out for us,” 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick said.
Green Bay kicker Mason Crosby drilled a game- tying 24- yard field goal with just over five minutes to play.
That set the stage for Kaepernick, who converted a thirdand- 10 from his own 31 with a 17- yard strike to Michael Crabtree before running 11 yards to the Green Bay 27 with just over a minute remaining.
Frank Gore then carried the ball on the next three plays, including a three- yard drive that gave San Francisco a first down at the 17.
Following another Gore run, the 49ers let the clock run down before calling a timeout with two seconds left and then clinched it on Dawson’s 33yard boot. The 49ers advance to play Carolina in the divisional round next Sunday.