Philip Rivers' touchdown pass to Vincent Jackson with 21 seconds left in the game was the difference, as the San Diego Chargers edged the New York Giants, 21-20.
Rivers finished 24-of-36 for 209 yards with three TDs and two interceptions for the Chargers (5-3), who won their third in a row. Jackson totaled 58 yards and two scores on five grabs, while Antonio Gates had 67 yards on five catches. Kris Wilson also had a touchdown catch in the win.
LaDainian Tomlinson was limited to 22 yards on 12 carries for San Diego, which has won three of the past four in this series.
Eli Manning was 25-for-33 passing with 215 yards and a pair of TDs for the Giants (5-4), who have dropped four in a row after starting the season with five straight wins. Brandon Jacobs led the ground attack with 67 yards on 11 carries, and Steve Smith had a score and 57 yards on eight grabs. Kevin Boss also had a score in the setback.
Despite the loss, the Giants had more total yardage, 304-226, and won the time of possession battle, 37:47-22:13.
"We're very upset and disappointed in the loss," said Giants head coach Tom Coughlin. "We played hard, we did a lot of good things but obviously we didn't do enough. We got to keep working, keep trying to improve...we fought our way out of things."
Although they had never faced each other prior to Sunday, Manning's and Rivers' careers will be forever intertwined. The Chargers used the No. 1 overall selection of the 2004 draft to select Manning, despite the Ole Miss product's publicly-known intentions that he wished not to play for the franchise, and subsequently traded his rights to the Giants after New York tabbed Rivers with the fourth pick of the first round. Rivers was sent to San Diego in a deal that also landed the Bolts a pair of draft picks, including a 2005 first-rounder that was used on standout outside linebacker Shawne Merriman.
Leading by four early in the fourth quarter, the Chargers started at their own 20. Rivers was sacked on first down and the visitors were faced with a 4th- and-25 before being forced to punt.
After Domenik Hixon returned the punt 13 yards, the Giants started at the Chargers 39. Mario Manningham's 14-yard catch moved the ball to the 20, Jacobs added a six-yard run and Ahmad Bradshaw had a six-yard gain. Two plays later, a wide-open Boss hauled in an eight-yard TD catch in the back of the end zone to give New York the lead, 17-14, with just under nine minutes to play.
San Diego was held to five plays on its ensuing touch, and the punt started the Giants at their own 23. Facing a 3rd-and-6 from their own 41, Manning dropped back and was sacked by Merriman, which led to a punt.
On the first play of the ensuing Chargers drive Rivers was picked off by Terrell Thomas, who ran it back 33 yards to the San Diego four-yard line. A holding call on first down moved the team back 10 yards, and they had to settle for a 22-yard field goal.
"It is disappointing when you get the ball at the five-yard line with a chance to score a touchdown and win that game, and we didn't do it," said Manning. "That is just disappointing. Penalties, penalties all night hurt us."
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