Redskins 30, Chargers 24 (OT)
LANDOVER, MD. -- After losing a 10-point lead during the final 6:59 of regulation, the Washington Redskins beat the San Diego Chargers 30-24 in overtime on fullback Darrel Young's 4-yard touchdown run.
Young's touchdown with 8:50 left in the extra period was his third of the game. The Redskins took the overtime kickoff and drove 78 yards in 10 plays for the win.
A week after being battered in Denver, Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III rebounded with a second straight sharp performance at home. Although his ninth pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown, Griffin completed 23 of his other 31 attempts for 291 yards as the Redskins converted 11 of 15 third downs in improving to 3-5.
Dallas leads the NFC East at 5-4.
The Chargers, who were coming off consecutive victories followed by their bye, fell to 4-4, trailing the Kansas City Chiefs (9-0) and Broncos (7-1) in the AFC West.
After the Redskins took that 10-point lead, the Chargers responded with an eight-play, 77-yard march that ended with a 16-yard touchdown from Rivers to rookie receiver Keenan Allen.
After Rivers' 6-yard touchdown pass to running back Danny Woodhead was reversed by replay, Chargers coach Mike McCoy chose not to go for it on fourth-and-1. Nick Novak's 19-yard field goal that completed a 14-play, 91-yard drive with three seconds left in regulation forced overtime. The Chargers lost the coin toss and then the game.
Down 14-7, Washington marched 74 yards in 14 plays to start the third quarter. Receiver Pierre Garcon's superb 38-yard catch, despite a pass interference, was the big play. Young scored the touchdown on a 1-yard run.
Garcon (seven catches, 172 yards) began Washington's next series with a 32-yard catch-and-run. Receiver Leonard Hankerson's grab of a low pass put the Redskins on the San Diego 8-yard line. Young scored from the 1 again two plays later as Washington took a 21-14 edge on the second play of the fourth quarter.
Allen ended San Diego's ensuing possession by dropping a pass when he was wide open inside Washington territory. When the Chargers got the ball back, rookie cornerback David Amerson picked off Rivers' pass for Allen at the Washington 49. Kai Forbath kicked a 47-yard field goal seven plays later to extend the Redskins' advantage to 24-14 with 6:59 to go.
The Redskins started their first two drives at their 1-yard line. Their impressive first series before Lawrence Guy blocked Forbath's 25-yard field goal kept the game scoreless.
After punter Mike Scifres pinned Washington back a second time, Guy deflected Griffin's pass out of the end zone. The ball caromed off defensive tackle Cam Thomas' back and into the arms of defensive end Sean Lissemore for a touchdown with 11:35 left in the second quarter, the first score by San Diego's defense this season.
Washington's defense responded with a takeaway as nickel back E.J. Biggers intercepted Rivers' pass at the Washington 33. Griffin passed to Hankerson for 23 yards. A penalty on Chargers defensive end Corey Liguet for grabbing Alfred Morris' facemask was followed by the running back finally breaking free for a 26-yard scamper to the San Diego 5. Morris, who had one yard on his first six carries but finished with 121 on 25 rushes, burst into the end zone on the next play to tie the game 7-7.
San Diego answered with an 11-play, 85-yard march marked by shoddy Redskins' tackling and alert plays by Rivers, who finished it with an 11-yard screen to receiver Eddie Royal that made it 14-7 with 42 seconds left in the half. It ended with Liguet blocking Forbath's 59-yard try.
Notes: The Chargers had not blocked a field goal in 175 games over exactly 11 years before the two blocks during the first half. ... With those failures, Forbath has missed five of 10 field-goal tries since converting an NFL-record 17 to start his career last season. ... San Diego set a franchise record by not allowing a touchdown in 12 straight quarters before Morris' score. ... The Redskins welcomed back 32 of the 80 players who were chosen last year as the greatest in franchise history including quarterback Doug Williams, the MVP of Super Bowl XXII that was played 26 years ago in San Diego.
