NFL Game Summary - Seattle at San Diego
San Diego, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Philip Rivers threw three touchdown passes to Antonio Gates, and the San Diego Chargers handed the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks a 30-21 loss on Sunday.
Rivers went 28-of-37 passing for 284 yards and the three scores to his tight end, while Gates hauled in seven receptions for 96 yards.
"He doesn't surprise me," Rivers said. "I will say all three touchdown catches, for the most part, didn't come up exactly like they were drawn up."
Nick Novak knocked down three field goals for the Chargers (1-1), who opened the season with a disappointing 18-17 setback at Arizona on Monday.
San Diego running back Ryan Mathews was carted off the field early in the fourth quarter and the Chargers said after the game that they are concerned that the back has an right MCL sprain. He will undergo an MRI on Monday.
Russell Wilson converted 17-of-25 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns for Seattle (1-1), which had an five-game winning streak snapped that dated back to last season and included the three-game run to win the Lombardi trophy.
"They did a really good job on third downs. They just sustained drives and kept us off the field offensively," Wilson said of the Chargers.
Robert Turbin and Marshawn Lynch each caught touchdown passes from Wilson, while Percy Harvin rushed for 45 yards on two carries with a touchdown in the loss.
San Diego forced a punt on the Seahawks' opening possession, and Novak capped a lengthy 14-play, 48-yard drive that lasted just over eight minutes with a 50-yard field goal.
Seattle answered, however, as Harvin rushed around the left end for a 51-yard touchdown to give the vistors a 7-3 lead.
Gates started the next drive with a 20-yard reception, then he capped it with an 8-yard touchdown catch to propel the Chargers back in front.
Novak added a 43-yard kick following a three-and-out from the Seahawks, and the Chargers got the ball right back as Harvin fumbled the the ensuing kickoff.
San Diego was faced with 2nd-and-goal from the 23 when Rivers hit Eddie Royal for 15 yards before connecting with Gates for another 8-yard score.
Wilson then hooked up with Turbin for 32 yards on Seattle's second play of its next drive. Turbin was rewarded later in the drive with a 3-yard TD catch that cut the deficit to 20-14 at halftime.
After a punt from each team to begin the second half, Gates hauled in a one- handed catch for a 21-yard TD to cap a 75-yard drive. Gates blew past his defender and headed to the corner of the end zone, where Rivers led the tight end just enough for him to get his hand on it to pull it into his body for the touchdown.
Lynch had a 14-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown later in the half to cut the deficit to 27-21, but that is all Seattle could muster.
Seattle's final drive began at its own 11, and four unsuccessful plays allowed Novak to boot his third field goal of the day to account for the final score.