The Bengals kept their two-game lead in the AFC North with a 17-10 victory at San Diego on Sunday afternoon.
With the win, the Bengals moved to 8-4. They are the No. 4 seed in the AFC. The Bengals play the third-seeded Colts next Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium.
The Ravens (6-6) and Steelers (5-7) are Cincinnati’s closest competitors in the division.
The Chargers, meanwhile, fell to 5-7. They are one game out of the final playoff spot in the conference.
The Bengals’ offense found a groove after halftime, racking up 250 yards and 10 points in the final two quarters to secure victory. Quarterback Andy Dalton’s 21-yard TD pass to A.J. Green gave the Bengals the lead for good late in the third quarter.
Dalton threw for 190 yards and was picked once, while BenJarvus Green-Ellis added 92 yards rushing for Cincinnati. Green-Ellis also lost a fumble, which set up a Nick Novak field goal with 4:43 left and cut the Bengals’ lead to 17-10. However, Cincinnati would run out the clock with a 11-play, 61-yard drive, and Green-Ellis’ five-yard run off right end gave the Bengals their final and clinching first down.
The Chargers twice turned the ball over in Cincinnati territory, with Antonio Gates fumbling in the first quarter and having a pass taken away from him in the third quarter. Also, rookie wideout Keenan Allen (game-high 106 receiving yards) lost a fourth-quarter fumble, setting up a Cincinnati field goal.
Quarterback Philip Rivers threw for 252 yards and a touchdown for San Diego, which hosts the Giants next Sunday.