SAN DIEGO CHARGERS vs. CINCINNATI BENGALS
Qualcomm Stadium (70,000) – San Diego, California
Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009

With today’s win and Denver’s loss to Oakland, the Chargers clinched their fourth straight AFC West title and their fifth in the last six seasons. The Chargers can lock up the No. 2 seed in the AFC Playoffs with either a win or a New England loss in either of the last two weeks.
 
The Chargers won their ninth straight game today and their 17th straight game in the month of December.
 
Philip Rivers led his third fourth-quarter game-winning drive of the season and the 12th of his career today. He finished the game with 308 yards for his fifth 300-yard game of the season and his third in the last four weeks. Rivers now has 15 career 300-yard games, including playoffs, and that is just one behind John Hadl (16) for the second-most in team history.
 
Rivers extended his career-best streak of consecutive games with a touchdown pass today to 11.
 
Vincent Jackson finished today’s game with 108 receiving yards, his sixth 100-yard game of 2009, the most by a Charger in a single season since Anthony Miller posted six in 1993. The last player with more than six was John Jefferson, who tallied eight 100-yarders in 1980. Jackson had 120 yards in the Chargers’ 20-17 win at Dallas last weekend. Three times this season, he’s had back-to-back 100-yard games.
 
Jackson came into today’s game with 989 yards on the season and finished with 1,097. It’s his second-straight 1,000-yard season, making him the first Charger since Tony Martin (1995-96) to post consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. Jackson had a career-high 1,098 in 2008.
 
Jackson joins Antonio Gates (1,071) with over 1,000 yards, giving the Chargers their first pair of 1,000-yard receivers since 1985 when Wes Chandler and Lionel James both went over the mark.
 
Jackson tied his season and career-high today with two touchdown catches. They were his eighth and ninth of the year, also a new career high. With nine TD catches, Jackson has the most by a Chargers wide receiver in a season since Keenan McCardell’s nine in 2005.
 
Nate Kaeding kicked today’s game-winning field goal, hitting a 52-yarder with three seconds left in the fourth quarter. With that kick, Kaeding hit his 147th career field goal and moved past Rolf Benirschke (146) and into second-place on the team’s all-time field goals list.
 
It was also Kaeding’s 17th consecutive made field goal, which is a new career-high. It is also the team’s third-longest streak of consecutive made FGs.
 
Quentin Jammer had his third interception of the season today, moving into a tie for the team lead with Antonio Cromartie. It’s Jammer’s most interceptions in a season since 2006 (four).
 
The Chargers reported three injuries from today’s game: center Scott Mruczkowski (ankle), cornerback Quentin Jammer (knee) and defensive end Jacques Cesaire (elbow).
 
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TODAY’S INACTIVES
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS vs. CINCINNATI BENGALS
Qualcomm Stadium (70,000) – San Diego, California
Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009 – 1:05 pm PST

San Diego Chargers Inactives
6                  QB               Charlie Whitehurst (3rd Quarterback)
24               CB               Dante Hughes
29               RB               Michael Bennett
41               FS                C.J. Spillman
61               C                  Nick Hardwick
71               DT               Antonio Garay
84               WR              Buster Davis
99               LB                Kevin Burnett
                                                  
Chargers Starting Lineup Changes from the Flip Card
None
 
San Diego Chargers Roster Changes from the Flip Card
None
 
Cincinnati Bengals Inactives
5                  QB               Jordan Palmer (third quarterback)
28               HB               Bernard Scott
37               FB                Fui Vakapuna
42               FS                Chris Crocker
50               C                  Jonathan Luigs
73               T                  Anthony Collins
94               DT               Domata Peko
95               DT               Orien Harris
 
Cincinnati Bengals Starting Lineup Changes from the Flip Card
#90 Pat Sims will start at LDT for #94 Domata Peko
#43 Tom Nelson will start at FS for #42 Chris Crocker
#62 Nate Livings will start at LG for #66 Evan Mathis
 
Cincinnati Bengals Roster Changes from the Flip Card
None

Local TV blackout lifted;
Southern California to see Chargers-Bengals

Enough tickets have been sold to lift the local television blackout and allow Southern California to see the CBS telecast of the Chargers-Bengals game on Sunday, Dec. 20 at Qualcomm Stadium.  Kickoff is 1:05 p.m. PT.  The game will be televised in San Diego on KFMB-TV, Channel 8 and in Los Angeles on KCBS-TV, Channel 2.  Jim Nantz and Phil Simms will call the play-by-play action.

A limited number of tickets, including many Club Level tickets, are still available at the Chargers’ ticket office at Gate C at Qualcomm Stadium, at www.Chargers.com and through TicketMaster at 800-745-3000.

This weekend’s game is the 46th consecutive regular season or postseason Chargers home game to be televised live in Southern California, the longest streak in team history.   

There are approximately 5,500 tickets remaining for the Chargers’ final regular season home game on Sunday, Jan. 3 versus the Washington Redskins.    

Fans are urged to use mass transit or carpool, and arrive EARLY.  To avoid heavy traffic around the stadium on Interstates 8 and 15, fans can reach the stadium via the Friars Rd. East exit off of Highway 163.  The parking lot at Qualcomm Stadium will open at 9:00 am for general parking and 8:00 am for those with pre-purchased permits. The lot is expected to fill and close early.