Playing just three days after the death of their teammate Chris Henry, the Cincinnati Bengals put on a valiant effort in a tough game against the San Diego Chargers.
But the Chargers ultimately gutted out a hard-fought 27-24 win, with Nate Kaeding kicking a 52-yard field goal with three seconds left.
It was a game in which both quarterbacks put up big numbers: Cincinnati’s Carson Palmer completed 27 of 40 passes for 314 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception, while San Diego’s Philip Rivers completed 24 of 38 passes for 308 yards, with three touchdowns and two interceptions.
The Bengals fell to 9-5 and failed again to clinch the AFC North, while the Chargers improved to 11-3 and are now on a nine-game winning streak. San Diego is also on a 17-game winning streak in December, going back to 2006.