Chargers beat Bears after Pineiro misses FG
It was ugly and sloppy — and it was also a win for Los Angeles. That’s what mattered most to Philip Rivers and the Chargers.
Chicago kicker Eddy Pineiro missed a 41-yard field goal as time expired and Los Angeles hung on to beat the Bears 17-16 on Sunday in Chicago.
“We just needed a win, any way — 35-0, 2-0, 3-2 or 17-16,” Rivers said. “It’s just good to win.”
The Bears took over at their 35 with 1:33 remaining and had a chance to win it after driving all the way to the 21. Chicago had quarterback Mitchell Trubisky took a knee with about 40 seconds left rather than try to get closer to the goal line because coach Matt Nagy didn’t want to risk a fumble. And Pineiro, who hit an upright on a miss earlier, drove the potential winner wide left as time expired.
“I hit the ball as best I could and tried to play the wind a little bit. I just didn’t make it,” he said.
The miss allowed the Chargers to snap a threegame losing streak and avoid their first 0-4 October since 2000, while the Bears dropped their third in a row. Los Angeles also picked up its first victory in seven road games alltime against Chicago and its first win at Soldier Field after losing four.
Rivers threw an 11yard touchdown to Austin Ekeler in the fourth quarter to put the Chargers on top with just over eight minutes left after Melvin Ingram III recovered a fumble by Trubisky in Chicago territory.
Rivers was 19 of 29 for 201 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Melvin Gordon ran for a score. Joey Bosa had two of Los Angeles’ four sacks, and the Chargers picked up their first victory since Sept 29 at Miami after losing three by seven points or fewer. PATRIOTS 27, BROWNS 13 >> Tom Brady threw for 259 yards and two TD passes and Bill Belichick earned his 300th career NFL coaching victory in New England’s win over Cleveland. Belichick sits behind only Don Shula (347) and George Halas (324) on the NFL’s all-time win list. The Patriots improved to 8-0 for the third time in team history and the first time since 2015, when they started 10-0.
TITANS 27, BUCCANEERS 23 >> Ryan Tannehill threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Brown with 6:55 left, and Tennessee rallied to beat Tampa Bay for its second straight win. Tennessee came in with the NFL’s No. 4 scoring defense, having not allowed more than 20 points in a game all season. LIONS 31, GIANTS 26 >> Matthew Stafford threw two of his three touchdown passes to Kenny Golladay and Detroit snapped a three-game losing streak with a victory over slumping New York. The Lions took a two-TD lead in the first quarter and Stafford’s 41-yard flea flicker to Golladay early in the fourth put them ahead by 12 points.
SEAHAWKS 27, FALCONS 20 >> Russell Wilson threw two touchdown passes to DK Metcalf, Chris Carson ran for 90 yards and a score, and Seattle beat reeling Atlanta. Seattle led 24-0 at halftime as the Falcons offense floundered early in their first start without quarterback Matt Ryan in 10 years. Ryan’s streak of 154 consecutive regular-season starts ended as he was held out with a sprained right ankle. RAMS 24, BENGALS 10 >> Wide receiver Cooper Kupp caught seven passes for a career-best 220 yards, Jared Goff threw for two touchdowns, and Los Angeles beat winless Cincinnati to make for another successful trip to London. Kupp caught a 65-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter on a double reverse flea-flicker from Goff, and the duo teamed up for a 40-yarder shortly after halftime to set up another score at Wembley Stadium. Goff went 17 of 31 for 372 yards, 273 of which came in the first half.
COLTS 15, BRONCOS 13 >> Adam Vinatieri made a 51yard field goal with 22 seconds left to help host Indianapolis rally for a victory. The NFL’s career scoring leader overcame two earlier misses to keep Indianapolis atop the AFC South with its third straight victory. The difference this time was the Broncos settled for two short field goals on time-consuming drives in the first half. JAGUARS 29, JETS 15 >> Sam Darnold went from seeing ghosts to seeing teal. Darnold threw three interceptions and was sacked a career-high eight times in Jacksonville’s victory over New York. He was picked off twice in the fourth quarter, including one that set up Gardner Minshew’s game-sealing score to DJ Chark with a little more than 4 minutes to play. PACKERS 31, CHIEFS 24 >> Aaron Rodgers threw for 305 yards and three touchdowns, two of them to Aaron Jones on a big night for the Green Bay running back, and the Packers held off backup QB Matt Moore and host Kansas City. Jones, who briefly left with a shoulder injury, had seven catches for 159 yards and added 67 on the ground.