Get ready for Philip Rivers vs. Peyton Manning III. With Sunday afternoon, a San Diego team that barely achieved it into the AFC wildcard spherical handed the Bengals their first home decrease of the year, 27-10, and continuing a completely timed transformation into a Super Bowl opponent
A month ago, San Diego had been 5-7, seemingly headed for the fourth straight season outside this playoffs. Five victories later, they are conjuring images on the 2011 Giants, a 9-7 crew that improbably won Super Bowl XLVI. Sunday’s win set this Chargers up to trip to Denver to face Manning’s Broncos in the next weekend’s AFC divisional playoffs. And also the Chargers will travel together with huge confidence.
“We rely on what we’re doing, ” veteran safety Eric Weddle stated. “We are peaking inside the perfect time. We have also been playing playoff games, even time for (Week- 12 in) Kansas City.”
On Weekend, they won a actual playoff activity, but were far from stunning. Rivers was peaceful, going 12-for-18 for simply just 128 yards, but he got a lot of help from a well balanced attack; the Chargers in a hurry for 196 yards, and an opportunistic protection took advantage of several mistakes by bumbling Bengals qb Andy Dalton.
“It is Charger ball, it is playoff ball,” said Rivers. “You complete the passes which can be presented, complete a several big passes, and also you run it. And when you research at the board by the end of the game, you have won. Playoff games aren’t designed to be pretty. ”
Ronnie Brown’s 58-yard landing run with 2: 17 left sealed the sport, but it seemed over lengthy before. The Bengals, unbeaten at house during the regular year, led 10-7 at halftime, but Rivers got going. He previously thrown six passes within a first half he said was “a little careful, ” but he’d comprehensive six passes on his opening drive on the third quarter. The very last, a absolutely thrown decrease to restricted end Ladarius Green finally zone, capped a 10-play, 80-yards drive and also gave San Diego a 14-10 edge.
With Dalton creating a mess of things, that has been aEric Weddle said. “We are peaking in the perfect time. We’ve ll the Chargers (10-7) would wish. The Bengals’ next control lasted just three plays, until Dalton, on 3rd-and-14 from his own 25, scrambled for a 1st down, dove, and lost the ball as he hit the bottom. The fumble was saved by corner Jahleel Addae, starting a 25-yards Nick Novak field goal.
Dalton, who handed for 334 yards, would throw interceptions for the next two possessions, starting one more Charger field goal and singlehandedly deflating his Bengals (11-6). Cincinnati had also fumbled apart a scoring opportunity inside the first half, when Giovani Bernard coughed up the football on the objective range just before the two-minute caution.
'We had possibilities to ranking and keep move the particular football,' stated Cincinnati' instructor Marvin Lewis. 'And we did not take action.'
But the Chargers did practice it. San Diego didn’t make a turnover, and Rivers threw just 4 incompletions. It absolutely was efficient football, the sort of thing you learn once you simply must win 4 critical December games to be alive.
'Somehow, the victories supply you with a sense of looseness,' said tight end Antonio Gateways. 'We have been allowing everthing keep out. Because we’ve necessary to win since what, Week- 14? We had to be able to win what, four immediately?'
And now, San Diego heads time for Denver believing it can take down the juggernaut Broncos at Mile High with the second time this year.
“It doesn’t mean whatever, ” Rivers said on the 27-20 win on Dec. 12. “But it will provide us some assurance acknowledge that we’ve gone there and won before. They’re the No. 1 seed for a reason. ”
The Rechargers have gotten this far for a purpose, too.
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