National Football League
Cincinnati 34, L.A. Chargers 20
When: 4:05 PM ET, Sunday, December 26, 2010
Where: Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
Temperature: 29°
Head Official: Gene Steratore
Attendance: 54194

Carson Palmer passed for 269 yards and four touchdowns – two to Jerome Simpson - as the host Cincinnati Bengals ended the San Diego Chargers’ playoff hopes with a 34-20 victory on Sunday.

Jermaine Gresham and Jordan Shipley each caught scoring passes for the Bengals (4-11), who have won two in a row following a 10-game slide.

With the Chargers (8-7) needing a win to keep pace with the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West, Cincinnati dashed their hopes quickly when Palmer and Gresham hooked up for a 3-yard score early in the first quarter. Simpson’s first touchdown in the second made it 13-0.

The Chiefs clinched the division title with the Chargers’ loss.

San Diego cut it to 13-10 when rookie Ryan Mathews broke for a 23-yard touchdown in the third quarter, but Palmer threw two more touchdown passes in the fourth quarter and Bernard Scott added a 10-yard rushing score to put it away.

Philip Rivers finished 27 of 40 with a touchdown and an interception for the Chargers, who turned the ball over twice.

Top Game Performances
Rushing
L.A. Chargers   Cincinnati
Ryan Mathews Player Cedric Benson
12 Attempts 24
55 Yards 52
4.6 Avg Yards 2.2
1 Touchdowns 0
23 Long 11
Receiving
L.A. Chargers   Cincinnati
Legedu Naanee Player Jerome Simpson
4 Receptions 6
59 Yards 124
14.8 Avg Yards 20.7
0 Touchdowns 2
19 Long 59
Team Stats Summary
 
  Yards Scoring Defense
Team Tot Rus Pas TD FG INT Sck FF
L.A. Chargers 313 64 249 2 2 0 0.0 1
Cincinnati 371 102 269 5 0 1 1.0 1
Upcoming Games
  • Cincinnati will play their next game on the road against Baltimore. The Bengals have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .000 after a loss.
  • L.A. Chargers will play their next game on the road against Denver. The Chargers have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .000 after a loss.