CARSON (CNS) - Philip Rivers threw for 314 yards and three touchdowns on his 38th birthday as the Los Angeles Chargers defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars, 45-10 today in Jacksonville, Florida.
The Chargers (5-8) scored on seven of their first eight possessions in their highest-scoring and most one-sided victory since a 45-10 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Nov. 25, 2018.
Rivers completed 16 of 26 passes, including an 84-yard screen pass to Austin Ekeler for a touchdown in the third quarter, the longest pass of Rivers' 16-season NFL career.
The 314 passing yards increased Rivers' season total to 3,748, extending his streak of consecutive seasons with at least 3,500 passing yards to 12, the third-longest streak in NFL history.
Ekeler's 19.3 scrimmage yards per touch are the second most by a running back in NFL history behind Herschel Walker's 19.5 average for the Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 14, 1986 in a 23-21 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
His 213 scrimmage yards tied for the 17th-best in Chargers history.
Ekeler ran for a career-high 101 yards on eight carries, including 92 on four carries in the first half, when the Chargers ran for 128 yards on 12 carries, the 10th-highest first-half total in their 60 seasons and most since Oct. 29, 2017, when they ran for 131 yards in a 21-13 loss to the New England Patriots.
He also caught four passes for 112 yards, the third 100-yard receiving game of his career, the most by a running back in team history.
Ekeler's touchdown reception was his eighth of the season, the most by an undrafted running back in a season in the common draft era, which began in 1967. He also tied the record set by Gary Anderson for touchdown receptions in a season by a Chargers running back.
The Chargers outgained the Jaguars, 525 yards to 252 and led 27-15 in first downs. Jacksonville led 30:37-29:23 in time of possession before a crowd announced at 57,866 at TIAA Bank Field.
Jacksonville (4-9) opened the scoring on the game's first drive on a 26-yard field goal by former Charger Josh Lambo, then allowed the next 31 points.
Melvin Gordon ran 1 yard for a first-quarter touchdown. Fullback Derek Watt ran 1 yard in the second quarter for his first rushing touchdown since 2010, when he was a senior at Pewaukee (Wisconsin) High School. He caught one touchdown pass at the University of Wisconsin in 2013.
Rivers threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Hunter Henry with one minute, 34 seconds left in the second quarter, one play after Ekeler ran for 35 yards and Jaguars linebacker Donald Payne was called for a 15-yard face mask penalty.
Michael Badgley kicked a 40-yard field goal three seconds before halftime to increase the Chargers lead to 24-3.
On his final play, Rivers threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to Mike Williams with 1:51 remaining in the third quarter.
Tyrod Taylor quarterbacked the Chargers on their three fourth-quarter possessions, completing three of five passes for 26 yards including a 14-yard touchdown to tight end Virgil Green with 10:53 to play.
Rookie Gardner Minshew completed 24 of 37 passes for 162 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown to tight end Nick O'Leary in the third quarter for the Jaguars, who lost their fifth consecutive game.
O'Leary is a grandson of golf legend Jack Nicklaus.
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