Record day: Philip Rivers, shippers, scores 2 points for victory

Joe Reedy, AP sports writer

Update

9:12 pm CET, Sunday 25 November 2018

CARSON, Calif. – After a record day, Philip Rivers was quick to recognize the merit of the players who were at the end of his passes.

Rivers tied the NFL mark for consecutive finals and broke records for the most starters and the highest percentage of completions in a match as the Los Angeles Chargers dismantled the Arizona Cardinals 45 -10 Sunday.

"Some catches could easily become incomplete, many types have been involved," said Rivers.

The 15-year-old was on target with his first 25 passes and finished 28 of 29's on 25 for 259 yards and three touchdowns in three quarters. It was also his 11th consecutive game with several TD passes.

Rivers 'entire series equaled Ryan Tannehill's mark in 2015. The Dolphins' QB made its last seven shots against the Tennessee Titans on October 18, 2015, and its first 18 games against the Houston Texans the following week.

"There are distant dreams where you wonder if you are going to have a game where you will never miss it and then you say," Probably not. "The fact that we were staying in the fourth quarter is telling," Rivers said.

Rivers has arrived after making 67% of his throws this season, which is good for the 13th in the league. He is now at 69.5%, which would be the best way to tie his career.

Rivers – who said he did not know he was close to Tannehill's record – tied the game for consecutive finishes with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Keenan Allen in the middle of the third quarter. He had his only failure in the next possession when he was rushed and was unable to connect on a short pass to Austin Ekeler.

Rivers broke Mark Brunell's record of completing the match. Brunell had 22 straight games against the Washington Redskins against the Houston Texans on September 24, 2006. Rivers' 96.8% accuracy surpassed Kurt Warner's 2009 record of 24 26 for Arizona vs. Jacksonville.

"It was hot," said Chargers coach Anthony Lynn. "The guys were opening and making games for him, there were some nice catches today."

Rivers' three touchdowns were played close to the limit, allowing the receiver to bring back the ball while being covered. Mike Williams caught two in the corner of the end zone and Allen just fell to the water while being draped by Arizona 's Tre Boston.

"It makes it easier for us as recipients," said Williams. "Philip put the ball so I could play and I'm just going up to do it."

Of the 28 players completed by Rivers – who rose to seven players – eight went on the screen behind the line of scrimmage. Five were in the air for 10 yards or more, including three who were 20 yards or more.

The Cardinals (2-9) took a 10-0 lead with scores on their first two possessions before the Chargers (8-3) scored touchdowns on six of the seven possessions. Los Angeles gained momentum with a second quarter of 28 points.

"We played a full football game," Lynn said. "It started slowly but we made adjustments and the guys responded."

Rivers was 19 out of 19 in the first period for 187 yards. According to SportRadar, the last perfect first period with 15 attempts or more was that of Warren Moon, who scored 16 against 16 for Seattle against Oakland on November 1, 1998. He completed the 10 passes during a two-minute exercise which resulted in Williams' TD with 16 seconds remaining.

Melvin Gordon, who entered the game for the sixth time in the league, scored two touchdowns in the second quarter before suffering a knee injury in the third. He finished with 61 yards in 10 races.

Austin Ekeler scored 103 yards in the scrum (35 in a hurry, 68 in the receiving end) and one touchdown.

Josh Rosen, of Arizona, who grew up near Manhattan Beach and played at UCLA, got 12 shots on 19 for 105 yards with a touchdown and an interception. David Johnson had 17 runs for 63 yards. The Cardinals racked up 108 yards in the first quarter, but only 41 the rest of the game.

"We talked about coming here on the road, to start quickly, I thought we did a great job of taking the first practice and scoring, and from that moment on, the wheels just got a little weaker," Cardinals coach Steve Wilks said.

41 AND COUNTING

Larry Fitzgerald's 25-yard touchdown at Rosen was his first career experience at StubHub Center, Fitzgerald's 41st stadium with a reception. He could extend that total when the Cardinals head to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on December 16th.

BOSA OUT

Defensive back Joey Bosa, who came home last week after missing the first nine games with a bruise on his left foot, had two sacks and five tackles.

"I felt more confident knowing that I had played 31 times last week," said Bosa, who was playing his sixth match in several sacks of his career in three years. "It was amazing to take a bag, it was too long between bags, it was fun."

INJURY

Cardinals: Linebacker Josh Bynes was injured in the second quarter. Wilks said the injury is not considered serious.

Chargers: Gordon did not return after his knee injury. Lynn said he hoped to find out more on Monday, adding, "Let's hope the situation is not serious, its sustainability has been pretty good this season."

FOLLOWING

Cardinals: Travel to Green Bay next Sunday.

Chargers: Go to Pittsburgh next Sunday for a match in prime time.