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| Donald Miralle / Getty Images |
| Vincent Jackson had a 48-yard reception on the first play from scrimmage. |
It was over when ...
The Chargers held the Patriots on fourth-and-1 with 9:16 left in the third quarter. San Diego responded with a four-play, 98-yard drive capped off by Philip Rivers' 1-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Gates. What could have been a 17-10 Chargers advantage, turned in a 24-3 lead for San Diego.
Game ball
Chargers defensive tackle Jamal Williams was credited with only two tackles but played much bigger than that. Williams repeatedly flushed quarterback Matt Cassel out of the pocket, knocked down passes and was a dominant force in stopping the run. Williams had a key surge to help stuff Sammy Morris on second-and-1 in the Chargers' pivotal goal-line stand in the third quarter.
Key stat
Rivers was not sacked by the Patriots, even though the Chargers were aggressive passing the ball. San Diego averaged 11.3 yards per passing play.
Noteworthy
The Patriots had their 12-game road winning streak snapped. ... The 27-point deficit in the fourth quarter was the Patriots' largest since they lost to Buffalo, 31-0, in Week 1 of 2003. ... LaDainian Tomlinson became the 17th player to rush for 11,000 yards in his career.
