Quarterback Philip Rivers played the entire first half and it was one to forget. Although he completed 13 out of 15 passes for 109 yards, Rivers was picked off on two consecutive drives by the same defender, Dallas cornerback Brandon Carr.
His first interception was caused by an under thrown pass intended for wide receiver Robert Meachem. The second interception bounced off the hands of wide receiver Vincent Brown and into the juggling hands of Carr.
Back-up quarterback Charlie Whitehurst looked surprisingly better when he took over in the second half. He completed 7 out of 10 passes for 122 yards and two impressive looking touchdowns.
On his first drive, Whitehurst hit Vincent Brown for an 18 yard score. Unfortunately Brown broke his left ankle after the catch and had to be carted off the field. He was later seen walking down the tunnel on crutches wearing a walking boot. Although there is no official timeline for his return, his chances of coming back this season does not look good. Brown finished with two catches for 31 yards and that costly touchdown catch.
Whitehurst recorded his second touchdown of the game after finding rookie wide receiver Mike Willie for a 38 yard strike in the fourth quarter.
Rookie linebacker Melvin Ingram continued to prove his first round worth during his time with the second team defense. He forced Dallas quarterback Stephen McGee to throw an incomplete pass and sacked him three downs later. McGee’s miscues didn’t end there.
Early in the fourth quarter, cornerback Shareece Wright picked off McGee's pass and ran it back 73 yards before getting caught at the two yard line. That led to a touchdown run by running back Jackie Battle to give the Chargers their first lead of the game. On the ensuing drive, Wright caught McGee on a blitz forcing him to fumble. Linebacker Daryl Gamble recovered the loose ball and it led to another touchdown drive for the Chargers.
The Chargers continue their preseason schedule next Friday when they visit the Minnesota Vikings at the Metrodome.
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