Alakananda blog

Chargers lead Colts 26-14 at end of 3rd quarter

INDIANAPOLIS – The San Diego Chargers returned two Peyton Manning interceptions for touchdowns and lead the Indianapolis Colts 26-14 at the end of the third quarter Sunday night.

Kevin Burnett returned an interception 29 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter, and Eric Weddle returned one 41 yards for a score in the third quarter.

Manning passed for 244 yards and two touchdowns through three quarters, but San Diego scored 17 points off his three interceptions.

San Diego gained just 229 yards through three quarters. Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers, who entered the game leading the AFC in yards passing, was held to 149.

San Diego reached the Indianapolis 1-yard line on its first drive of the second half, but Eric Foster sacked Rivers on third-and-goal.

Nate Kaeding made his fourth field goal, a 30-yarder, to increase San Diego's lead to 19-14.

Weddle returned Manning's third interception of the game 41 yards for a touchdown to push the lead to 26-14 with 8:21 left in the third quarter. The crowd booed because Weddle grabbed Reggie Wayne and pulled him to the ground before making the play.

The Colts took the game's opening possession 78 yards for a score. Manning connected with Jacob Tamme for a 4-yard touchdown pass to give the Colts a 7-0 lead.

San Diego tried to answer, but Rivers overthrew Malcom Floyd in the end zone on a third-and-2 at the Indianapolis 10, and the Chargers settled for a 28-yard field goal by Kaeding to cut the Colts' lead to 7-3 with 3:22 remaining in the quarter.

On Indy's next possession, Manning looked for Wayne, but instead found Burnett. The San Diego linebacker returned the interception 29 yards for a touchdown to give the Chargers a 10-7 lead late in the first quarter.

Manning threw another interception early in the second quarter, this time to linebacker Stephen Cooper.

The Chargers turned it into a 33-yard field goal by Kaeding to expand the lead to 13-7. Kaeding added a 50-yarder with 4:39 left in the half to make it 16-7.

The Colts got back into the game with their two-minute offense. Manning threw a 35-yard completion to Tamme and a 30-yarder to Pierre Garcon that took Indianapolis to the San Diego 5-yard line.

Two plays later, Manning connected with Blair White for a 6-yard touchdown pass that cut San Diego's lead to 16-14 with 22 seconds left in the half.

San Diego receiver Vincent Jackson suffered a calf injury in the first quarter and will not return. He did not have a catch before the injury. He was playing for the first time this season after a holdout.