Chargers Hang In AFC West Race With 34-14 Win Over Ravens

The San Diego Chargers needed a victory on Sunday Night Football against the Baltimore Ravens to keep their playoff hopes alive and get back to .500 on the season. Philip Rivers and his running backs made sure that would happen, too, as the Chargers defeated the Ravens by way of a 34-14 final score.

Rivers was excellent for the Chargers, finishing with 270 yards and a touchdown while managing the offense quite well as San Diego scored on its first five possessions -- a feat that had never before been accomplished against the Ravens. It was Rivers' running backs that provided the majority of the scoring, however, as Ryan Mathews and Mike Tolbert made the Ravens' vaunted defense look ancient.

Mathews finished the game with 26 carries for 90 yards and a pair of touchdowns while Tolbert carried the ball eight times for 40 yards and a score of his own. All three of their touchdowns came from just a few yards out, but Tolbert's celebration following his touchdown was memorable as he seemed to attempt a truffle shuffle in the end zone.

The Ravens actually looked fine in the box score as Joe Flacco threw for 226 yards and two touchdowns while completing 23 of his 34 passing attempts, but a pair of ill-timed interceptions allowed the Chargers to continue running up the score. Running back Ray Rice was also a bit of a non-factor in the blowout, too, as he rushed just 10 times for 57 yards.

The Chargers now move higher in their battle for an AFC Wild Card berth in the playoffs with games at the Detroit Lions and Oakland Raiders left while the Ravens will finish their season with games against the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals -- a team that's still fighting for a playoff spot of its own.

For more on the Ravens head over to Baltimore Beat Down. For more on the chargers, check out Bolts From The Blue. Follow the rest of Week 15 at SB Nation NFL.

The San Diego Chargers are piling it on the Baltimore Ravens as they keep their hopes alive at getting into the NFL playoffs. Their latest touchdown was perhaps the most impressive, however, as running back Ryan Mathews dove in to the end zone from nearly five yards out to give the Chargers a 31-7 lead midway through the third quarter.

Mathews hasn't had the most impressive game as he's carried the ball 15 times for just 44 yards, but he certainly made an impressive play in scoring his second touchdown of the evening. In fact, it'd be hard to draw up a better play than "Hey Ryan just fly almost five yards and make sure the ball crosses the goal line okay thank you!"

The Chargers have a 24-point lead over the Ravens and have now broken a record, becoming the first team to ever score on its first five drives since the Ravens entered the league. They've also scored three rushing touchdowns in the game -- quite a feat since Baltimore's defense had only allowed six total through its first 13 games of the season.

For more on the Ravens head over to Baltimore Beat Down. For more on the chargers, check out Bolts From The Blue. Follow the rest of Week 15 at SB Nation NFL.

The San Diego Chargers picked up in the second half right where they ended their first half of Sunday Night Football, extending their lead to 17 points over the Baltimore Ravens. Philip Rivers connected with Malcom Floyd to give the home team a 24-7 lead early in the third quarter.

Rivers' first touchdown pass of the game came on a 28-yard strike to Floyd to move his passing totals to 227 yards as he's completed 14 of his 19 passing attempts. Rivers was solid in the first half, but his running backs punched the football into the end zone for both of their scores, leaving the quarterback's numbers a bit less impressive than they should have been.

The Chargers are fighting for their playoff lives in the game as they look to improve their record to seven wins and losses apiece. The AFC Wild Card is still a possibility, though it likely wouldn't be with a loss.

For more on the Ravens head over to Baltimore Beat Down. For more on the chargers, check out Bolts From The Blue. Follow the rest of Week 15 at SB Nation NFL.

The San Diego Chargers need a win on Sunday Night Football to keep their NFL playoff hopes alive, and through the first half, it seems they might be able to keep it alive for at least another week. The Chargers took a 17-7 lead into halftime behind a pair of scores from both of the team's running backs.

Mike Tolbert pinballed his way into the end zone from just two yards out on the Chargers first drive of the game and Ryan Mathews ended up in the end zone later in the second quarter to sandwich a Nick Novak field goal to complete the 17-point surge. Mathews' touchdown was set up by a long bomb from Philip Rivers to Vincent Jackson as the video below will show.

Rivers ended the first half with 170 yards through the air as he completed 11 of his 15 passing attempts, but the running backs vultured both touchdowns after the passing game did most of the dirty work. Mathews has carried the ball eight times for a total of 11 yards while Tolbert has three carries for a meager two yards and the touchdown.

The Ravens didn't play bad in the first half as Joe Flacco completed more than half of his passes for 102 yards and a touchdown while Ray Rice carried the ball nine times for 63 yards, but Baltimore was unable to finish its drives and kicker Billy Cundiff missed his only field goal attempt of the game.

For more on the Ravens head over to Baltimore Beat Down. For more on the chargers, check out Bolts From The Blue. Follow the rest of Week 15 at SB Nation NFL.

The Baltimore Ravens didn't get off to a good start on Sunday Night Football as Billy Cundiff missed a 36-yard field goal on his team's first drive of the game, but the offense looked stellar the second time they got the ball. The Ravens answered Mike Tolbert's touchdown to tie the game at seven points apiece when Joe Flacco connected with Ed Dickson in the end zone.

Ray Rice and Ricky Williams did most of the work in moving the ball down field, but Flacco's 15-yard strike to his athletic tight evened teh score in their game with the San Diego Chargers. Flacco's completed just four of his 10 passes, and all to four different receivers, but it seems Dickson should be his end zone target the rest of the way simply due to his athleticism.

The Ravens are known more for their offense than their defense, but Philip Rivers and Flacco could be involved in a shootout considering the teams have scored touchdowns on two of the first three possessions.

For more on the Ravens head over to Baltimore Beat Down. For more on the chargers, check out Bolts From The Blue. Follow the rest of Week 15 at SB Nation NFL.

The San Diego Chargers are fighting for their playoff lives against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football. The Super Chargers are winning that fight in the early going, too, as Mike Tolbert pinballed his way into the end zone for a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter.

Philip Rivers ushered the Chargers down field with an efficient drive as he passed for 55 yards while completing six of his seven throwing attempts before Tolbert ran it in from two yards out behind his blockers. It may not have been pretty, but it got the job done (and he may have finished his touchdown celebration with a modified truffle shuffle, as the video below will show).

The Ravens got the ball to start the game, but after Joe Flacco and Ray Rice moved the ball down the field, kicker Billy Cundiff missed a 36-yard field goal attempt to keep Baltimore from starting the game with a 3-0 lead.

For more on the Ravens head over to Baltimore Beat Down. For more on the chargers, check out Bolts From The Blue. Follow the rest of Week 15 at SB Nation NFL.