The Los Angeles Chargers lost to the Houston Texans Sunday, 27-20, despite a monster game from Keenan Allen, who recorded two touchdowns and a career-high 183 yards receiving on thirteen receptions.
On the Texans' first drive of the afternoon, Desmond King recovered a fumble by Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson and ran it 13 yards to Houston's 15-yard line.
Three plays and 15 yards later, the Chargers scored the first points of the game on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Philip Rivers to Allen with 9:41 left in the first quarter.
After an extra point by punter Ty Long, handling kicking duties in place of the injured Michael Badgley for the third consecutive game, the Bolts led 7-0.
On the Chargers' next possession, Long's 34-yard field goal extended the Bolts' lead to 10-0 with 10:36 remaining in the second quarter. The kick capped a 15-play, 72-yard drive that took 8:21 off the clock.
The Texans responded with a quick scoring drive, moving the ball 75 yards on five plays in 2:21. Watson's touchdown pass to Daniel Fells and the ensuing extra point cut the Chargers lead to 10-7 with 8:11 to go in the second quarter.
Then, in shotgun formation, Rivers found Allen who made a diving defender miss at the 8-yard line and ran the ball into the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown, the veteran receiver's second score of the game.
Long tacked on the extra point to extend the Chargers lead to 17-7 with 29 seconds left in the half.
With time expiring in the half, Texans kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn's 56-yard field goal attempt missed wide right, keeping the score, 17-7, at the half.
Midway through the third quarter, Texans running back Carlos Hyde ran three yards for a touchdown on the play after a 30-yard pass from Watson to Will Fuller. The Fairbairn extra point trimmed the Houston deficit to 17-14.
The Chargers advanced to the Texans 29 on the ensuing drive before Houston recovered a Rivers fumble.
With 1:19 left in the third, Houston took its first lead of the game on a 15-yard pass from Watson to Jordan Akins, followed by a Fairbairn extra point. Watson completed 25 of 34 passes for 351 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions.
The next score of the game came at the 9:53 mark of the fourth quarter, with Watson escaping a sack and again finding Akins, who ran into the end zone for a 53-yard touchdown, extending the Texans lead to 27-17. Akins finished with 73 yards receiving and his first two career touchdowns. Fairbairn's extra point attempt sailed to the right, keeping the Chargers deficit at 10 points.
On the next possession, Rivers efficiently led the Chargers down the field, highlighted by a 34-yard pass to Allen.
The six-play, 50-yard drive took just 2:26 and ended in a Long 43-yarder that put the Bolts within a touchdown, 27-20 with 7:19 left to play.
On the Texans' next drive, a joint sack by Joey Bosa and Thomas Davis led to a Houston punt with 4:30 left in the game.
Rivers then led the Chargers to the Texans 24, but they could not convert on 4th and 14, ending their comeback effort.
In the loss, Rivers passed for 318 yards and two touchdowns on 31 of 46 completions, placing the Chargers quarterback in sole possession of 4th place all-time in games with at least 300 yards passing. Bolts rookie Roderic Teamer, who started at strong safety in his first NFL game, tied for the team lead in combined tackles with seven.
Hyde collected a mere 19 yards rushing on 10 carries for the Texans, with the Chargers defense allowing only 39 total yards rushing.
The Chargers fell to 1-2 and will face the 0-3 Dolphins next Sunday in Miami Gardens. Kickoff is at 10:00 a.m. PT at Hard Rock Stadium.
Take a look through live action photos as the Bolts take on the Houston Texans at home in Week 3.
