Rivers, Chargers throw one away

San Diego Chargers' Antonio Gates catches a pass for a first down in the 2nd quarter as Miami Dolphins Spencer Paysinger defends at Qualcomm Stadium.

San Diego Union-Tribune

Nov. 13, 2016 1 PM PT

Philip Rivers did something Sunday he had never done in 173 previous NFL games.

It cost the Chargers a game.

Rivers threw four interceptions in a quarter for the first time, and one of the them was returned 60 yards by Kiko Alonso for the winning touchdown in a 31-24 Dolphins victory at Qualcomm Stadium.

Rivers also threw three touchdown passes, but he and the Chargers were unable to overcome only the second four-interception game of his career. The other came in 2012 against Denver, also at Qualcomm.

For a game that was 0-0 after the first quarter and only 10-7 Chargers at halftime, the second half was surprisingly entertaining. The teams traded touchdowns in the third quarter, with Mira Mesa High product Damien Williams scoring on a 2-yard run before a long Chargers drive produced a 7-yard TD pass from Rivers to Hunter Henry. But Williams came right back to catch an 18-yard TD pass from Ryan Tannehill to give Miami the lead before the end of the third quarter.

The fourth quarter was mostly wasted opportunities for the Chargers. Even before the clinching interception, Rivers was picked off two earlier times, once in the end zone and once when San Diego reached the Miami 30.

He also threw a 51-yard touchdown pass to Tyrell Williams that gave San Diego a 24-21 lead with 4:04 to play. But Miami countered with a field goal and then won it with their defense.

The Chargers fell to 4-6 with an off week coming before their next game Nov. 27 at Houston.

Here’s a look back at the game:

First quarter

Chargers 0, Dolphins 0

Key plays: The Chargers picked up a first down on the opening possession and should have had a second, but Antonio Gates dropped two passes, the second coming on third down with no one really around him. Miami promptly drove to the Chargers 30, but big plays by Brandon Flowers and Melvin Ingram forced a punt. The Chargers then went three-and-out and had to punt from deep in their territory. After a Miami punt, it looked like the Chargers were going to punt for a third time, but Miami’s Bobby McCain grabbed Dontrelle Inman’s face mask while a third-down pass was in the air. McCain was penalized 12 yards for pass interference and 15 for the face mask. That and a 19-yard run by Melvin Gordon moved the Chargers into Miami territory just before the quarter ended.

Key stats: Ryan Tannehill was 4-of-4 for 42 yards on Miami’s first drive. Philip Rivers had three of his first four passes dropped and finished quarter 1-of-5 for 6 yards.

Not in the box score: Chargers tackle Joe Barksdale went down but walked off under his own power with 20 seconds left in the quarter.

Second quarter

Chargers 10, Dolphins 7

Key play: Continuing a drive from the first quarter, the Chargers got the first points of the game on a 45-yard field goal by Josh Lambo with nine seconds elapsed. They then forced a three-and-out on Miami’s initial possession. Taking over at their own 20, the Chargers finally took to the air on most of their first-down plays and Philip Rivers responded by going 4-for-4 on those downs for 51 yards and a touchdown, an 11-yarder to Antonio Gates. He was 2-for-3 on his other passes for 34 yards, including a 15-yarder to Melvin Gordon on third-and-14 and a 19-yarder to Gates on second-and-11. Miami bounced back with an impressive 74-yard drive, keyed by two third down conversions on passes by Ryan Tannehill and then a 39-yard TD pass to La Costa Canyon High alum Kenny Stills, who beat Dwight Lowery. The Chargers had a chance for a field goal, but on third down from the 28, Joe Barksdale and King Dunlap got pushed back into Rivers and the quarterback was sacked, forcing a punt with 45 seconds left.

Key stat: Gates now has 109 TD passes, just two behind the all-time record holder for tight ends, Tony Gonzalez. Rivers has thrown 299 career TD passes.

Not in the box score: Chargers guard Orlando Franklin missed a few plays while his right wrist was being taped.

Third quarter

Dolphins 21, Chargers 17

Key plays: After being held to 16 yards on 11 first-half carries, Jay Ajayi broke free for 40 yards on the second play of the third period. Two plays later, Ryan Tannehill passed 25 yards to Jarvis Landry, and on the next play Damien Williams scored on a 2-yard run. A pair of third-down passes from Philip Rivers to Tyrell Williams and an 18-yard run by Melvin Gordon got the Chargers into the red zone, and after a pass interference penalty against Bobby McCain, the Chargers scored on a 7-yard pass from Rivers to Hunter Henry, again on third down. The lead seesaw continued when Miami drove 75 yards for another TD. The biggest play was Melvin Ingram missing a sack on Tannehill on third down, which would have forced a punt. Three plays later Tannehill passed 18 yards to Damien Williams for the score.

Key stats: Miami gained 131 yards in the first half, with 74 coming on their second-quarter TD drive. They gained 150 in the third quarter, with 91 coming on the ground.

Not in the box score: The touchdown pass was No. 300 for Rivers, tying him with John Elway for eighth on the all-time list. The Chargers lost Brandon Flowers, possibly with a concussion, on the play where Ingram missed the sack and Tannehill ran for 18 yards.

Fourth quarter

Dolphins 31, Chargers 24

Key plays: Miami gave the Chargers a gift to start the period, with Jakeem Grant muffing a punt and Darrell Stuckey recovering at the Dolphins 5. San Diego got another break when a third-down incompletion was nullified by a defensive hold, but two plays later, Philip Rivers misread coverage and was intercepted in the end zone by Tony Lippett. The Chargers had yet another chance shortly thereafter, reaching the Miami 30 on three passes by Rivers of 24, 13 and 14 yards, but his pass to Antonio Gates was overthrown and Byron Maxwell intercepted. Again, the defense came through, though, and the Chargers got the ball back at their 42 after a 21-yard punt return by Isaiah Burse with 5:06 to play. Helped by a third-down defensive holding penalty, the Chargers capitalized, with Rivers throwing a perfect pass to Tyrell Williams for a 51-yard TD with 4:04 left. Miami countered with a 56-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill to DeVante Parker but San Diego’s defense forced a 27-yard field goal by Andrew Franks with 2:57 left. The Chargers reached Miami territory, but Kiko Alonso outfoxed Rivers and intercepted a pass and returned it 60 yards for a touchdown with 61 seconds remaining. One last interception by Lippett ended the game.

Key stat: The first interception was the first thrown in the red zone this season by Rivers. The TD pass was No. 301 of his career, eighth all time.

Chargers