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San Diego Chargers hold big lead while routing Jacksonville Jaguars

By The Sports Xchange
San Diego Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers (17). Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI
San Diego Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers (17). Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo

Reeling from a come-from-ahead loss in last week's season opener at Kansas City, the San Diego Chargers took a familiar prescription to get well.

Feasting on the Jacksonville Jaguars for their fifth consecutive meeting, the Chargers led by three touchdowns just over five minutes into the second quarter and never looked back in a 38-14 blowout Sunday at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.

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Quarterback Philip Rivers tied his career high with four touchdown passes, running back Melvin Gordon enjoyed the first 100-yard game of his career and the defense kept Jacksonville (0-2) out of the end zone until the fourth quarter.

"We finished, that was the big thing," Chargers coach Mike McCoy said. "We understood the situation we put ourselves in, but we had to move on. We were focused and dialed in."

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San Diego (1-1) owned both sides of the scrimmage line. It outrushed the Jaguars 150-69, possessing the ball for nearly 35 minutes, and made Jacksonville a one-dimensional offense before the first half ended.

Chargers outside linebacker Melvin Ingram recorded two sacks of Blake Bortles, forced a fumble and drew at least two penalties as the Jaguars couldn't keep him from pressuring the quarterback. Jacksonville delivered a performance rife with errors, with Bortles committing three turnovers while his teammates were flagged 13 times for 93 yards.

"Pretty embarrassing," Bortles said. "The majority of the locker room is sick and tired of this feeling. It's up to us to do something about it."

San Diego set the tone with its first drive. It marched 75 yards on nine plays, sticking mostly to running plays, and finished the drive with a 3-yard run from Gordon - his third touchdown in two weeks after not scoring last year - for a 7-0 lead at the 10:17 mark.

The Chargers made it 21-0 with two touchdowns in less than five minutes of the second quarter. Rivers hit Travis Benjamin with a 6-yard scoring strike on the quarter's first play, then found favorite target Antonio Gates for a 2-yard touchdown at the 9:58 mark.

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Some San Diego fans might have had flashbacks to last week's 33-27 overtime defeat in which the Chargers owned a 24-3 third quarter lead, but Rivers welcomed the instant flashback.

"It was eerily similar," he said. "We saw this team respond. We know what we're about."

San Diego wouldn't blow this big lead. Rivers hooked up with wide receiver Tyrell Williams, who will be counted on for more production after last week's season-ending knee injury to Keenan Allen, for a 44-yard catch-and-run score at the 11:06 mark of the third quarter.

Rivers then capped his 17-of-24, 220-yard afternoon with a 45-yard bomb to Benjamin with 2:57 remaining, upping the advantage to 35-0 and ending the game's competitive phase.

"We know our offensive is explosive," said Benjamin, who finished with 115 yards on six catches. "With our personnel and the things we do on offense, we can't be stopped."

Gordon is adding another dimension the Chargers didn't enjoy last year. After an injury and fumble-plagued rookie year in 2015, Gordon is displaying more power to go with game-breaking speed, rushing for 102 yards on 24 attempts.

"He's a punishing runner right now," McCoy said of Gordon. "But I think Melvin would tell you the same thing - that it's not Melvin Gordon, but 11 guys in the running game, playing like a unit."

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Bortles, who completed 31 of 50 passes for 329 yards, threw touchdown passes of 4 and 15 yards to Marcedes Lewis and Corey Grant in the fourth quarter that enabled the Jaguars to avoid a shutout. But there was little positive they could take out of this performance.

"I think you have to put that on me," Jacksonville coach Gus Bradley said. "You just can't show up and play well. Obviously, it's not one of our better showings."

NOTES: Jacksonville DE Jared Odrick (elbow) left during the game's opening drive but was able to return. ... Jaguars RB Chris Ivory (undisclosed medical condition) was inactive for a second straight week. CB Prince Amukamura, QB Brandon Allen, DT Tyson Alualu, G Christopher Reed, DE Chris Smith and WR Bryan Walters were also inactive for Jacksonville. ... San Diego's inactives were DE Joey Bosa (hamstring), T Tyreek Burwell, NT Ryan Carrethers, CB Adrian Phillips, G Max Tuerk, G Kenny Wiggins and RB Andre Williams.

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