New Orleans Saints vs Los Angeles Chargers Box Score on Oct 02, 2016

The Sports Xchange
Oct 2, 2016

SAN DIEGO -- The New Orleans Saints stormed back from a 13-point, fourth-quarter deficit to shock the San Diego Chargers 35-34 on Sunday afternoon.

John Kuhn scored his third touchdown, a 1-yard run, with 1:57 remaining for the go-ahead score.

New Orleans took possession when Travis Benjamin fumbled after a reception and it was recovered by Nate Stupar.

The Saints (1-3) won for the first time this season and beat the Chargers for the third straight time.

The Chargers (1-3) lost two fumbles in the last seven minutes as they squandered another fourth-quarter lead.

Philip Rivers threw for two touchdowns and Melvin Gordon rushed for two, but it wasn't enough to prevent the Chargers' 16th loss in 21 games.

Brees, who was 23-of-36 passing for 206 yards, started ahead of Rivers with the Chargers for two years after Rivers was acquired in a 2004 draft-day trade with the New York Giants. After Brees hurt a shoulder in the final game of 2005, he became a free agent and signed with the Saints.

Rivers, who has lost all three starts against the Saints, was 28 of 43 for 321 yards. He had two touchdowns and a pick.

The Saints deflated the Chargers' cushion to 34-28 when Michael Thomas caught a 5-yard touchdown reception after Gordon's fumble and Darryl Tapp's recovery with about five minutes left.

Rivers' last pass was intercepted by B.W. Webb on fourth down with the Chargers deep in their territory.

The Chargers seemingly seized control of the game with a 10-point fourth quarter in forging ahead by 13.

Gordon snatched his second rushing touchdown early in the quarter.

Josh Lambo kicked a 47-yard field goal with about nine minutes remaining.

Kuhn scored for the second time when he leaped over from 1 yard as Brees faked a pitch to the outside. That pulled the Saints within 24-21.

Gordon, after not scoring last year, collected his fifth touchdown in the final minute of the first half. The increased the Chargers' cushion to 24-17, marking the third time this year they haven't trailed at halftime.

The Chargers got a second-quarter field goal when Brees blinked first in the battle of these gunslingers. Brees threw his second interception of the season when his pass was tipped by Jason Verrett and intercepted by Craig Mager.

Lambo's 30-yard field goal pushed the Chargers ahead 17-14.

Rivers' eighth straight completion to start the game found Dontrelle Inman for a 57-yard score. Inman made a nifty move to cut upfield in getting the last 25 yards of the play for a 14-14 tie.

Brees threw his second scoring pass, hitting a wide-open Kuhn from 4 yards for a 14-7 cushion.

The teams traded first-quarter touchdowns, with the Saints marching in on their first possession. Ingram went around the left side untouched from 22 yards for his first touchdown on the season.

The Chargers' initial score arrived when Rivers clicked with tight end Hunter Henry on a 20-yard reception. It as the first NFL touchdown for Henry, a second-round pick.

NOTES: Among the Chargers out with injuries were LT King Dunlap and CB Brandon Flowers. ... DE Joey Bosa (hamstring), the draft's third overall pick, missed his fourth game. ... TE Antonio Gates, 36, didn't play for the second straight week. Gates (hamstring) hasn't practiced in two weeks. .. Saints QB Drew Brees played his first game in San Diego since leaving the Chargers after the 2005 season. ... Saints starting ILBs James Laurinaitis and Dannell Ellerbe were inactive with injuries.