Philip Rivers passed for 201 yards and a touchdown and Chicago's Eddy Pineiro missed a potential game-winning 41-yard field goal wide left as time expired and the visiting Los Angeles Chargers held on for a 17-16 victory against the Bears on Sunday.
Los Angeles (3-5) exhaled with a victory as Chicago (3-4) sputtered down the stretch. Rivers connected with Austin Ekeler for a go-ahead 11-yard touchdown pass with 8:04 remaining to put the Chargers ahead by the final margin.
Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa sacked Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky on a third down from the Los Angeles 40-yard line with 2:44 remaining to take Chicago out of range for a potential game-winning field goal. The Bears got the ball back with 1:33 to go and moved into range for Pineiro, who missed the kick.
Bears rookie David Montgomery rushed for 135 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries, exceeding 100 yards for the first time in his career.
Chicago outgained Los Angeles 388-231, snapping a streak of six straight games without eclipsing 300 yards, the franchise's longest such stretch since 2005.
Los Angeles failed to capitalize on a prime opportunity to take the lead early in the fourth quarter. Casey Hayward intercepted Trubisky and returned the ball to the Chicago 20. On third down, the Chargers' Keenan Allen dropped a potential touchdown in the end zone, and Chase McLaughlin missed a 42-yard field goal wide right on the ensuing snap.
Trubisky fumbled on the next Chicago possession, however, moments after missing Taylor Gabriel on what appeared to be a likely touchdown. Los Angeles took over possession on the Chicago 25, and Rivers connected with Ekeler three plays later.
The Bears opened the second half with an 11-play, 75-yard drive in 6:52, punctuating the surge with a 4-yard touchdown run from Montgomery to take a 16-7 lead.
Los Angeles grabbed a 7-6 lead on a 19-yard touchdown run from Melvin Gordon with 2:12 left in the second quarter. The play came one snap after Rivers connected with Mike Williams down the right sideline for 43 yards. The Chargers had 57 yards of offense before those plays.
Chicago answered with a 19-yard Pineiro field goal as time expired on the second quarter to take a 9-7 lead into halftime. Pineiro drilled field goals of 22 and 25 yards earlier in the quarter, atoning for a missed 33-yarder that clanged off the right upright with 2:14 left in the first quarter.
--Field Level Media
L.A. Chargers | Chicago | |
Melvin Gordon III | Player | David Montgomery |
8 | Attempts | 27 |
31 | Yards | 135 |
3.9 | Avg Yards | 5.0 |
1 | Touchdowns | 1 |
19 | Long | 55 |
L.A. Chargers | Chicago | |
Mike Williams | Player | Anthony Miller |
3 | Receptions | 3 |
69 | Yards | 67 |
23.0 | Avg Yards | 22.3 |
0 | Touchdowns | 0 |
43 | Long | 35 |
Yards | Scoring | Defense | ||||||
Team | Tot | Rus | Pas | TD | FG | INT | Sck | FF |
L.A. Chargers | 231 | 36 | 195 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3.0 | 0 |
Chicago | 388 | 162 | 226 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 |