Chargers Wipe Out Giants, 37-14
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers still have Eli Manning's number.
Not the one briefly issued to Manning at the 2004 NFL draft, of course. Just another victory against him.
Rivers found rookie Keenan Allen for two of his three touchdown passes, and the Chargers beat Manning and the New York Giants 37-14 Sunday to keep alive their long-shot playoff hopes.
The Chargers (6-7) won for just the second time in six games.
Manning dropped to 0-3 against San Diego since 2004, when the Chargers took him with the No. 1 overall draft pick and then sent him a short time later to the Giants for Rivers and a handful of draft picks.
The Giants (5-8) were eliminated from the playoff picture.
Manning was picked off twice, the first time when Donald Butler came up with a deflected pass midway through the first quarter. Three plays later, Allen got open for a 43-yard play that he completed by lunging for the pylon for the score.
Allen had three catches to push his season total to 61, breaking LaDainian Tomlinson's team rookie record of 59 in 2001.
Rivers was 21 of 28 for 249 yards before being replaced by Charlie Whitehurst with more than five minutes left.
Manning was 20 of 32 for 259 yards, with one TD.
Allen also had a 4-yard TD catch and Danny Woodhead grabbed a 6-yard scoring reception.
Manning also lost to the Chargers in 2005, when Drew Brees was still their starting quarterback, and in 2009, when Rivers threw three touchdown passes, including a last-minute, game-winner to Vincent Jackson.
New York lost for just the second time in seven games following an 0-6 start.
The Chargers are tied with the New York Jets, one game behind Baltimore and Miami in the race for the second AFC wild-card spot. The Chargers visit Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos on Thursday night. The Broncos beat the Chargers 28-20 on Nov. 10.
Allen was hurt while making a 12-yard catch late in the first quarter and went into the locker room. He returned late in the second quarter and caught his second scoring pass to give San Diego a 17-0 lead.
A 36-yard field goal by Nick Novak and Rivers' TD pass to Woodhead -- which was set up by Marcus Gilchrist's recovery of Andrew Brown's fumble -- helped the Chargers take a 24-0 halftime lead.
The Chargers blew a 24-0 halftime lead to Peyton Manning and the Broncos last year, but weren't about to do to same to Manning's little brother and the Giants.
Rivers was sacked by Justin Tuck and fumbled on the first possession of the second half, with Cullen Jenkins recovering at the 18 to set up Peyton Hillis' 1-yard scoring run.
Rivers appeared to injure his neck when he dove for the loose ball but stayed in the game.
Ryan Mathews scored on a 1-yard run to cap an 11-play, 80-yard drive that was all on the ground except for a pass from Rivers to Vincent Brown that drew a 36-yard pass interference call against linebacker Spencer Paysinger.
Manning threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Myers and Novak added field goals of 27 and 43 yards, all in the fourth quarter.
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