NFL report: San Diego Chargers shutout New York Jets at Qualcomm Stadium
Monday 6 October 2014 11:14, UK
Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers proved far too much for the woeful New York Jets to handle as they handed out the first shutout of the NFL this season with a 31-0 victory.
The Chargers moved to 4-1 for the season with Rivers throwing three touchdown passes, two to tight end Antonio Gates and one to Brandon Oliver – who made a huge impact on the game after only getting his chance due to more running back injuries.
Against a Jets defence that ranked first in the NFL defending the run, Oliver raced away with 114 yards on 19 carries with another score on the ground, while adding 68 receiving yards as he surely played his way into a starting spot going forward.
Hapless second-year quarterback Geno Smith lasted just the first half before Jets coach Rex Ryan lost patience in him and replaced him with Michael Vick – although made absolutely no difference to their abject display.
Smith completed just four passes for 27 yards with an interception before he was finally benched in favour of Vick – but he could also do nothing of note with just 47 yards on nine passes as he too failed to get the Jets on the scoreboard.
Bad day
A wretched day for the Jets also saw Ryan slip to 1-4 for the first time in his coaching career as they were outplayed on both sides of the ball.
After letting huge tight end threat Gates wander free into the end zone in the first quarter, the Jets defence then let him collect another Rivers pass in the second quarter to double San Diego’s lead.
After Donald Brown went off with a head injury, Oliver took the lead in the backfield and he wasted no time slicing the famed Jets rush defence, with a 15-yard running touchdown just before half time.
With Vick still offering little on offence, Oliver then caught a nine-yard TD from Rivers midway through the third quarter that effectively sealed the game at 28-0.
Nick Novak added a field goal in the fourth quarter as the Chargers offence wound down and Rivers took a breather, but the defence kept up its relentless pursuit of Vick and held firm to secure the first shutout of the 2014 season.
