San Diego Chargers vs San Francisco 49ers Box Score on Dec 20, 2014

SportsDirect Inc. staff
Dec 21, 2014

Chargers 38, 49ers 35 (OT): Nick Novak kicked a 40-yard field goal 4:54 into overtime to cap a stunning comeback from a 21-point deficit as visiting San Diego kept alive its playoff hopes.

Philip Rivers overcame three interceptions by throwing for 356 yards and four touchdowns - including a pair in the final 5:15 of regulation - and tight end Antonio Gates made seven catches for 92 yards and two TDs for the Chargers (9-6), who still need help to reach the postseason. Eddie Royal had 10 receptions for 94 yards and a score as San Diego matched the largest comeback in franchise history after trailing 28-7 at halftime.

Colin Kaepernick threw for only 114 yards and a score but ran for 151 yards and a touchdown for San Francisco (7-8), which tumbled to its fourth straight defeat despite amassing a franchise-record 355 yards rushing. Frank Gore ran for 158 yards and a TD, but the 49ers saw the game slip away when Quinton Patton fumbled on an end-around in the first minute of overtime.

San Francisco lost and regained control of the game in a stunning sequence late in the third quarter, having a 63-yard touchdown pass to Vernon Davis negated by penalty one play before Kaepernick was sacked and San Diego's Corey Liuget recovered in the end zone to cut the deficit to 28-21. The Chargers had the 49ers pinned deep in their own end on the ensuing possession before Kaepernick got free for a 90-yard scoring run and a 35-21 lead with 2:26 left in the third.

Rivers hit Gates with a 21-yard scoring strike with 5:15 left to pull within seven points and tied it by driving San Diego 80 yards in 14 plays before finding Malcom Floyd for an 11-yard TD pass with 29 seconds remaining. The 49ers' Phil Dawson attempted a 60-yard field goal on the final play of regulation, but it was well short and wide right.

Gore's 52-yard touchdown run and Antoine Bethea's 49-interception return for a score helped make it 21-0 less than five minutes into the second quarter before Rivers tossed a 15-yard scoring pass to Royal, but Bruce Ellington scored his second TD from 1 yard out with six seconds left in the half for a 28-7 lead.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Ellington became the first San Francisco rookie since Amp Lee in 1992 to have both a rushing and receiving touchdown in the same game. ... Rivers (252) became the 17th quarterback in league history with at least 250 career touchdown passes while Gates tied Hall-of-Famer Don Hutson with his 99th scoring catch. Rivers and Gates have combined for 72 TDs, the most by any QB-TE tandem. ... While Bethea scored the first touchdown of his nine-year career, the 49ers CB Eric Reid was knocked out of the contest with his third concussion in his first two seasons.