Jacksonville Jaguars

Jaguars continue to struggle on West Coast with loss to Chargers

Published Sep. 18, 2016 7:51 p.m. ET

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SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Philip Rivers matched his career-high with four touchdown passes, including two to Travis Benjamin, Melvin Gordon ran for one score and had his first 100-yard game in the San Diego Chargers' 38-14 victory against the mistake-prone Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

The Chargers (1-1) bounced back from their stunning loss at Kansas City, when they blew a 21-point third-quarter lead and fell 33-27 in overtime.

The Jaguars started 0-2 for the fourth time in five seasons. They crossed midfield only six times and committed three turnovers.

Casey Hayward led the Chargers' defense with two interceptions of Blake Bortles. His first set up a short drive Rivers capped with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Benjamin for a 14-0 lead on the first play of the second quarter.

Rivers threw a 2-yard scoring pass to tight end Antonio Gates for a 21-0 lead midway through the second period. That drive started after a missed 54-yard field goal by Jacksonville's Jason Myers, who went to Mater Dei High in suburban Chula Vista.

His third scoring pass went 44 yards to Tyrell Williams, who bounced off two defenders and broke two tackles just before going into the end zone in the third quarter.

Benjamin, signed as a free agent from Cleveland, caught a 45-yarder late in the third quarter.

Gordon, a second-year pro, scored on a 3-yard run on the game's opening drive, his first TD at Qualcomm Stadium. Gordon went in standing up, and then right guard D.J. Fluker lifted him off the ground in celebration. He finished with 102 yards on 24 carries.

Gordon failed to score a TD during his rookie season, then scored twice at Kansas City.

Bortles threw TD passes of 4 yards to Marcedes Lewis and 15 to Corey Grant in the fourth quarter.

The Chargers lost a playmaker for the second straight week. Running back Danny Woodhead was helped off the field in the first quarter and taken to the locker room on a cart. The severity of the knee injury wasn't immediately known.

Star receiver Keenan Allen suffered a season-ending knee injury a week earlier.

What could be the Chargers final home opener in San Diego drew only 52,165 fans at 72,000-seat Qualcomm Stadium.

ANTHEM: Chargers offensive linemen Joe Barksdale and Chris Hairston held up their right fists during the national anthem.

There was also a malfunction with a giant American flag as it was being unfurled on the field by Marines and U.S. Navy sailors. The flag appeared to have a big twist in the middle and couldn't be fully opened.

A SAN DIEGO INSTITUTION: Rivers and Gates have hooked up on 78 touchdown passes, the most in NFL history for a quarterback-tight end tandem. Gates has caught 80 TD passes since Rivers became the starter in 2006, but two were thrown by LaDainian Tomlinson on halfback option plays. Gates needs six more scoring catches to match Tony Gonzalez's all-time mark of 111 for a tight end.

WEST COAST WOES: The Jaguars fell to 2-11 on the West Coast and 0-4 in San Diego. The Jags haven't won on the West Coast since 2004 and have been outscored 260-93 during an eight-game losing streak, falling by double digits in seven of those.

INJURIES

Jaguars: LT Kelvin Beachum sustained a concussion late in the third quarter. The stadium was hushed as he was placed on a back board and lifted onto a cart, which drove him off the field. ... DL Jared Odrick hurt an elbow on the opening drive and returned. ...WR Arrelious Benn sustained a cut on Jacksonville's first possession. The team didn't give further information. ... DT Roy Miller hurt his left hand.

Chargers: In addition to Woodhead, SS Jahleel Addae left with an apparent shoulder injury in the fourth period.

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