SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Diego Chargers
are 3-1 for the first time in five seasons under Norv Turner, and
they've done it with workmanlike performances rather than a lot of flash
and dash.
Philip Rivers was 21 of 31 for 307 yards and one touchdown, Mike Tolbert ran for another score and the Chargers knocked out Miami quarterback Chad Henne on the way to beating the winless Dolphins 26-16 on Sunday.
The Chargers have a one-game lead in the AFC West over Oakland, which lost to New England.
"Everybody
seems to think we can't start fast," Tolbert said. "But no matter how
we win, how ugly it is, we're 3-1. We're on a good pace right now. We're
trying to keep momentum going."
It's a big change from Turner's
first four seasons, when slow starts agitated the fans. The Bolts were
1-3 in Turner's first season, 2007, then had three straight 2-2 starts.
"The
only thing faster would be 4-0," Rivers said. "It's a little faster
than it has been around here. It's usually a flip of 3-1."
Said Tolbert: "As long as you win, the style points really don't count. We don't care about style."
They didn't need to in a game in which the teams combined for three touchdowns and seven field goals.
"We're
finding ways to win," said safety Eric Weddle, who had another
late-game interception. "If that's all you can say about us, then that's
a good thing to say."
It was the second week in a row the Chargers beat a winless team at home. The previous Sunday, the Chargers
beat the defending division champion Kansas City Chiefs 20-17. The
Chiefs got their first win Sunday by beating the winless Minnesota
Vikings 22-17.
Turner was impressed with his team's effort.
"There wasn't anything blah-blah about anyone on our side," the coach said.
Henne
hurt his left shoulder at the end of a run on a broken play on the
Dolphins' second possession and didn't return. Although backup Matt
Moore led the Dolphins to the game's first TD, Rivers' passing
eventually overpowered the Dolphins (0-4).
Rivers threw a 55-yard
touchdown pass to Vincent Jackson to tie the game at 7 late in the first
quarter. Ryan Mathews' 42-yard gain on a screen pass set up Tolbert's
1-yard leap over the pile for a 20-10 lead for the Chargers early in the third quarter.
The Chargers
managed to score two touchdowns. They got four field goals from Nick
Novak, from 27, 48, 23 and 38 yards. Rivers took a knee three times
inside the Dolphins' 20-yard line to end the game.
"One thing that
has been nice about all three of our wins is we took a knee at the end
of the game," Rivers said. "A lot of guys will say that's the best
formation in football."
Jackson, who was in and out of the game
with a muscle strain in his leg, had three catches for 108 yards.
Mathews had another solid day, running 16 times for 81 yards and
catching five passes for 68 yards.
Henne and Moore were each intercepted once.
"Everybody is going to wish they had some plays back," Moore said.
Chargers
star tight end Antonio Gates missed his second straight game with a
sore right foot, an injury that's bothered him since last season.
Henne
was hurt at the end of a 1-yard run in the first quarter. He went to
hand off to Lex Hilliard, who wasn't ready for the ball. Henne was hit
by Shaun Phillips and stayed on the ground for a few minutes. He walked
off the field, then went into the locker room. When he came back out to
the sideline, it was clear he wasn't going back in.
"I wanted to
see how it felt, but the risk was too heavy to do," Henne said. "Doctors
will let me throw tomorrow, we'll get some more tests done, see how my
strength is."
Henne said it was a checkdown to a run and there
were "missed communications with the running back. Injuries happen. I'll
bounce back."
Moore came in and completed a 31-yard pass to
Charles Clay. Hilliard capped the drive with a 4-yard TD run, but it was
overturned after replay, with the officials saying his knee was down
inside the 1-yard line. Hilliard then dove over the pile to give the
Dolphins a 7-0 lead.
Rivers needed three plays to tie it. After
consecutive first downs, he lobbed the 55-yarder to Jackson, who dived
to make the catch, then got up before a Dolphins defender could touch
him, and scooted into the end zone.
Reggie Bush, playing as a pro in his hometown for the first time, ran 13 times for 50 yards and caught two passes for 15 yards.
Miami's Dan Carpenter kicked field goals of 41, 37 and 51 yards.
Notes:
The game was blacked out in Southern California. ... The PA announcer
referred to Bush as "Reggie Jackson" after a carry late in the first
quarter. ... San Diego's Larry English had two sacks. ... Rookie CB
Marcus Gilchrist, making his first start in place of injured Quentin
Jammer, intercepted Henne.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.
