Chargers vs. Bengals 2013, AFC playoffs: Andy Dalton turnovers key Bolts’ win

Mathews was the focal point, carrying 29 times for 127 yards and a touchdown. Against Cincinnati, San Diego rushed the ball 40 times for 196 yards and two scores.

• SB Nation’s 2014 NFL playoff coverage and brackets

It’s also yet another playoff game lost by Cincinnati with Marvin Lewis at the helm. He’s been in charge of the team for 11 seasons, though the recent losses are more significant given the weapons on the team.

The Bengals played a solid game on the defensive side of the ball, but they failed to create turnovers and with Cincinnati’s mistakes on offense, the writing was on the wall. John Gennaro of Bolts From The Blue believes that winning the turnover battle was the key to San Diego’s success:

Rather than join his colleagues out in sunny Maui playing in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, Phil Mickelson opted to make a trip to icy Cincinnati to watch his beloved Chargers in the freezing rain.

Mickelson is a noted San Diego sports enthusiast and this was the first time in four years that the Bolts made the postseason, so Mickelson and his wife Amy decided to fly to Ohio. Gregg Doyel of CBS snapped a photo of the couple outside the Chargers locker room, no doubt waiting to congratulate the team after their upset win over the AFC North champs:

“Was it too big or too brash,” Rivers exclaimed. “Nonsense,” said Philip. “It’s perfect!” he explained.

(via For The Win)

Dalton had three consecutive turnovers in the second half of the Bengals’ 27-10 loss and is now 0-3 in the playoffs. He has thrown just one touchdown to six interceptions in three postseason games.

The Bengals were trailing by just four points before Dalton’s turnover spree, but were outscored 20-0 in the second half. Midway through the third quarter, Dalton coughed it up for the first time when he fumbled diving untouched for a first down.

In victory, in defeat: there is nothing more beautiful than Philip Rivers’ expressions of joy/frustration/WOOOO/anger. He is the most facially expressive man in NFL football, by several standard deviations.

After Andy Dalton’s interceptions and hilarious fumble and several turnovers on downs, the Chargers pulled away, eventually winning 27-10. And Rivers gave his customary WOOO.

As the No. 6 and lowest remaining seed, the Chargers will travel to Denver to face the top-seeded Broncos, who have been resting and waiting this weekend with a first-round bye. The Broncos and Chargers split their regular season series, with Denver winning 28-20 in Week 10 and San Diego getting revenge with a 27-20 win on the road in Week 15.

• SB Nation’s 2014 NFL playoff coverage and brackets

It was pretty clear in the review and replay that Dalton fumbled it away, without question, and that’s what referee Jeff Triplette was trying to explain to the Cincinnati fans.

Except that they haven’t won a playoff game in almost a quarter-century, Jeff. They don’t care about your “rules.” Fans booed before he was finished and you never interrupt Jeff Triplette.

• SB Nation’s 2014 NFL playoff coverage and brackets

• Kelly: Watch for these signature plays during Wild Card weekend

During Sunday’s AFC Wild Card matchup between the Bengals and the Chargers, cameras caught Philip Rivers looking particularly pensive:

“Does the bolo tie really look good on me?”

Ryan Van Bibber [8:01 PM]:

thanks for hanging out with us. we’ll back next weekend!

Despite starting only five games, Royal has caught 47 passes for 631 yards and eight touchdowns. His 91-reception, 980-yard rookie season is hard to replicate without a starting role (he started 15 games that season), but the eight touchdowns are a new career high, as is the 13.4 yards per catch average. Royal has also moved away from the return game, allowing him to better focus on the receiving aspects of his game, and that has shown this season.

Nose tackle Sean Lissemore is not active for the Chargers, but rookie nose tackle Kwame Geathers is for the first time since Week 10.

Game Date/Time and Location: Sunday, Jan. 5, 1:05 p.m. ET at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati

TV: CBS

The two have been key components of Andy Dalton’s passing game, ranking fifth and sixth on the team in receptions, respectively. Gresham caught 46 passes for 461 yards and four touchdowns this season, ranking third on the team in scoring catches, while Eifert caught 39 passes for 445 yards and two touchdowns. Among players on the Bengals with at least 20 catches, Eifert’s 11.4 yards per catch mark ranks third.

This season, the Chargers have given up 64 receptions for 735 yards and seven touchdowns to tight ends, rating as one of the better defenses against tight ends in the NFL. The Bengals provide a different kind of test, however, with two equally adept players available for receptions at the position.

Beyond the names most likely to wind up on a marquee are a bevy of supporting players who are playing to their peak at just the right time. Below are a few players you should become well-acquainted with before Sunday’s Wild Card bout.

The Chargers’ offensive line has also undergone massive improvement since McCoy took over as head coach. The unit allowed just 30 sacks on Philip Rivers, and paved the way for a career year by Ryan Mathews. King Dunlap was the key to the Chargers’ success on the ground, grading out as the best run blocking tackle in the NFL by Pro Football Focus. If he begins blasting big holes for Mathews on Sunday, the Chargers will be difficult to stop.

San Diego is 9-7 on the season, and the fact that the Chargers are here is somewhat remarkable. Few expected them to make it into the playoffs, but everything happened exactly as it needed to for the Chargers to keep on playing.

Cincinnati boasts the No. 8 passing offense in the NFL at 258.7 yards per game on average. The rushing attack doesn’t fare quite as well, coming in at No. 18. San Diego actually bests the Bengals in both areas, with a passing attack ranked No. 4 and a rushing attack ranked No. 13.

The full injury reports for both teams are below:

Chargers Injury Report

Either way, whether you’re planning on watching your team take the field this weekend or just planning on watching a team you don’t really even care much about, I thought I’d try to offer a little primer on a few offensive schemes you may see some of the eight Wild Card round teams use. Maybe it will make things more fun.

First, my marquee matchup:

Rivers has been sensational in 2013, but while he’s required to win games it’s the work of the team’s running backs that defines whether they lose.

Much is made of Andy Dalton’s inconsistency, and the Bengals need to mitigate this problem by establishing an early lead. It takes pressure off the third-year quarterback and ensures he doesn’t need to be a key playmaker late in the game.

Well fortunately for you, me, and the Newsboy himself there are good God-fearing people in the world like Clay W. You see, Clay read my year-end awards show and took the time out’ve his own day to put together a Danny Woodhead 2013 highlite reel in black&white set to the tune of noted @PFTCommenter follower Aaron Tippins song “Youve got to stand for Something (Are you’ll fall for Anything)”- a song about a blue-collar type worker guy who wasnt the biggest but allways stood tall when it came to his believes- Just like Woodhead the Warrior. I hope you ll enjoy it as much as I do:

Never Forget:

With a 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS run to end the regular season and a bit of help from other teams in the conference, the San Diego Chargers earned the final wild card spot in the AFC.

The Chargers will try to make the most of it when they visit the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday as seven-point underdogs and try to keep alive one of the strangest trends in NFL history.