DENVER, Co.- Phillip Rivers threw for 250 yards and a touchdown as the San Diego Chargers narrowly escaped with a 29-24 win over the Tim Tebow-led Denver Broncos.
Ryan Mathews rushed for a career-high 125 yards on 24 carries and Nick Novak hit five field goals for the Chargers *4-1)
Tebow spelled a struggling Kyle Orton to start the second half and nearly completed a thrilling comeback, but his pass from the San Diego 29-yard line fell incomplete in the endzone as time expired.
In all, Tebow threw for 79 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 38 yards and a score.
Willis McGahee ran for 125 yards and Knowshon Moreno had a 28-yard touchdown reception for the Broncos (1-4).
Orton completed 6-of-13 passes for 34 yards and an interception. Tebow initially found the doing difficult as well, as the Broncos were held scoreless in the third quarter.
Novak’s career-long 51-yard field goal gave the Chargers a 26-10 lead early in the fourth, but Tebow sparked Denver behind his legs and trademark enthusiasm.
Following a San Diego touchdown, the Broncos scored a quick touchdown, as McGahee’s 28-yard scamper preceded the three consecutive Tebow runs, the last of which resulted in a 12-yard score. McGahee converted the two-point conversion to make it a 26-18 game.
After a Rivers fumble, Tebow found Moreno and a screen three plays into the Broncos’ ensuing drive for a 28-yard touchdown. But Antione Cason knocked away Tebow’s pass on the two-point conversion attempt, effectively maintaining San Diego’s 26-24 advantage.
Rivers did his best to keep the ball out of Tebow’s hands, drving his team 60 yards down the field before Novak hit a 35-yarder for a 29-24 advantage. Early in the drive, Rivers found Malcolm Floyd for a 38-yard gain on 3rd-and-10.
Tebow was left with just 24 seconds to operate, but continued to scrap. He completed a 20-yard pass to a leaping Brandon Floyd, then hit Daniel Fells for 31-yards before spiking the ball with one second remaining. He bought time on the final play, scrambling madly in the backfield before firing a bullet into the crowded endzone. It turned out to be a blank, but it appears the quarterback controversy in Denver has been reloaded.
– Sports Network –