The Sports Xchange

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Philip Rivers threw for 503 yards. He needed 3 more.

The San Diego quarterback’s 65th and final pass, on fourth-and-goal from the 3-yard line, was batted down at the goal line by Green Bay cornerback Damarious Randall, giving the Packers a 27-20 victory over the Chargers at Lambeau Field on Sunday.

Rivers recorded just the 17th 500-yard game in NFL history, and he completed 43 of 65 passes for two touchdowns with no interceptions.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw two touchdown passes, and running back James Starks rushed for 110 yards, including a 65-yard run that staked Green Bay to a 14-3 lead in the first quarter.

Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen caught 14 passes for 157 yards, including an NFL season-high 11 in the first half, but he missed most of the second half with a hip injury.

The Packers took a 27-20 lead on kicker Mason Crosby’s 28-yard field goal with 2:37 remaining.

Rivers drove the Chargers the length of the field, leaning heavily on tight end Antonio Gates and running back Danny Woodhead. On fourth-and-goal with 20 seconds remaining, Rivers went to Woodhead to his right in the flat, but Randall closed and broke it up to save the game.

“They actually ran that play earlier,” Randall said. “Rivers was trying to see if he could get it to Gates first. I guess No. 39, Woodhead, was his second option, and I was just there to make a play.”

The Packers are 6-0 for the first time since 2011 and the second time in the last 50 years. For the first time in a long time, it is the defense — not the Rodgers-fueled offense — making the key plays.

Still, the Chargers made Green Bay sweat.

“If you have a chance to study their offense, (Rivers) is so accurate with the football and the at-the-line offense and the command of recognizing the defense and so forth, you’ve got to give him a ton of credit there,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. “It was a competitive match, but we kept them out of the end zone. That’s what was most important. When you get in games like that, where you’re giving up a lot of yards, at the end of day, it’s about field goals versus touchdowns, and that was obviously a big part of this game.”

The Chargers (2-4) have lost games in the final moments in back-to-back weeks, and three of their losses were by no more than seven points.

“Gosh, I don’t know, you have to laugh to keep from crying,” said Rivers, who set team single-game records for completions, attempts and yards. “Another one. Another one that was tough. And as good as we played, in a lot of ways, we left plays out there that we normally make. …

“We should’ve scored 40. We should’ve. And that’s what’s frustrating because our defense played their tail off.”

What we learned about the Chargers:

1. Quarterback Philip Rivers needs help. Fast. Making his 150th consecutive start, Rivers completed 43-of-65 passes for 503 yards. All three of those set franchise records. He threw two touchdown passes and had a passer rating of 99.7. But it wasn’t enough. San Diego’s running game is impotent, with rookie Melvin Gordon fumbling twice. And with that, the Chargers are 2-4 and quickly becoming an afterthought in the playoff race. “It was a tough loss against a good team, against a team that will be playing well into January,” Rivers said. “There’s not consolation in that, but I think it’s going to turn if we keep fighting like we’re fighting. We’re going to get on a roll at some point, but we have to believe that first.”

2. San Diego’s offensive line deserves some credit for the Chargers’ prolific offensive performance. With left tackle King Dunlap, left guard Orlando Franklin and center Chris Watt inactive due to injuries, Rivers was sacked only three times against a Green Bay pass rush that entered the week ranked second in sacks. Some of that was mitigated by the Chargers’ quick-hitting passing game. “They did an unbelievable job,” Rivers said. “I’m not saying the pass-protection part of it is easy but I think it’s harder for five guys that have moved and there’s a few new guys in different spots. Those guys up front, the way they fought and the way they played is awesome.”

3. It would help Rivers and the offense if the special teams could do anything to provide some field position. How’s this for a stat: Packers punter Tim Masthay averaged 40.5 yards per punt. His net average was actually better, at 42.3, as Jacoby Jones’ returned two punts for minus-7 yards. His longest return went for minus-2. For the season, the Chargers’ punt return unit has gained 3 yards.

Etc.:

–Quarterback Philip Rivers set franchise records with 43 completions, 65 attempts and 503 yards. It was the 17th 500-yard passing game in NFL history. He was more concerned about the plays he missed, including a potential second-quarter touchdown to Antonio Gates on fourth down. “That first touchdown to Gates, I missed. We usually make that one. A few other throws I usually make. In games you lose like this, those mistakes are magnified. However many we hit, you would’ve thought it’s OK to miss a few, but not the ones we usually make.”

–WR Keenan Allen, who had 14 catches in the first two-and-a-half quarters before exiting with a hip injury, was Rivers’ favorite target. He was only one reception away from the franchise record, set by Kellen Winslow at Green Bay in 1984 and matched by Allen in Week 1 against Detroit.

–RB Melvin Gordon starred at Kenosha (Wis.) Bradford High School and the University of Wisconsin before being the Chargers’ first-round pick. His homecoming, however, was a disaster. He carried seven times for 29 yards, including a 25-yarder, but he fumbled twice, including one that was recovered by the Packers. That would be his final snap of the game. “Yes, we had to eliminate that,” coach Mike McCoy said. Said Gordon: “It was pretty cool to be here. I had a lot of support, a lot of fans and a lot of Green Bay Packers fans. I had a lot of family come, too, so it was pretty cool to be here.”

–OLB Jerry Attaochu had two sacks. The second-year player had two sacks vs. Cleveland earlier this season after recording only two as a rookie last season. “It is tough,” he said of losing another close game, “but it is definitely motivating moving forward to see how close we have come.”