It was the first home loss of the season for the Bengals, who have not won a playoff game since 1990.
The Chargers drew first blood with a five-yard touchdown run by Danny Woodhead near the end of the first quarter.
Andy Dalton answered back with his first career postseason touchdown pass. The four-yard connection to tight end Jermaine Gresham tied the game 7-7 with 5:59 left in the first half.
At the closing seconds of the first half, kicker Mike Nugent nailed a 46-yard field goal to give the Bengals a 10-7 lead. Those would be the last points the Bengals put up this season.
In the second half, the Chargers' defense forced turnovers on three consecutive drives (two interceptions & a fumble) and kept the Bengals off the scoreboard for the remainder of the game.
The Chargers took a 14-10 lead in the third quarter after a 33-yard pass from Phillip Rivers to Eddie Royal set up a four-yard touchdown grab by tight end Ladarius Green.
Following two field goals by Nick Novak (25 & 23 yards), Ronnie Brown sealed the win with a 58-yard touchdown run (longest rush of the season) with 2:17 left to play.
Next up for the Chargers is a trip to Denver where they'll face the top seeded Broncos next Sunday at 1:40 p.m. pacific time. The Chargers split the season series, losing 28-20 at Qualcomm Stadium on Nov. 10 and winning 27-20 in Denver on Dec. 12.
The winner will face the Indianapolis Colts or New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game.
Impact Chargers
QB Phillip Rivers
12/16 for 128 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions
Offensive Line
318 total yards, allowed just one sack
Solid performance despite center Nick Hardwick leaving the game with a concussion.
The Run Game
Totaled 196 yards and two touchdowns on the ground
Super Charged Defense
Forced four turnovers (two fumbles & two interceptions)
Three sacks, five tackles for loss, seven passes defended, and six QB hits
Three sacks, five tackles for loss, seven passes defended, and six QB hits
Shutout the Bengals in the second half
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