Rivers threw for 294 yards and 3 touchdowns, burning Jacksonville’s depleted secondary early and often, and the beat the host Jaguars, 38-14, on Monday night to snap a six-game losing streak.
The Chargers (5-7) could have used Rivers’s turnaround sooner. Rivers, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, leads the in interceptions (17) and turnovers (21) and has been a key part of San Diego’s disappointing season.
Rivers completed 22 of 28 passes — hooking up with Vincent Brown, Vincent Jackson and Malcom Floyd for long scores — before sitting out the final few minutes.
The Chargers scored on five of their first six drives, then sent most of the crowd scrambling for the exits with Ryan Mathews’s 31-yard touchdown run in the fourth.
It was a much-needed victory for San Diego, which trails Denver and Oakland by two games in the A.F.C. West. And it was another blow to the Jaguars, who endured the most sweeping changes in the 17-year history of the franchise last week. The team owner Wayne Weaver fired Coach Jack Del Rio and announced he was selling the club to the Illinois businessman Shahid Khan.
FORTE IS EXPECTED BACK Coach Lovie Smith said he expected running back to return this season from a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee.
Smith said Forte “looked pretty good” on Monday, but he would not put a timetable on his return. Chances are Forte, who entered Sunday’s game leading the N.F.L. in yards from scrimmage, will miss a few games, although he played through a similar injury in 2009.
TEXANS INJURIES Receiver has what is being called a mild left hamstring injury, though Houston Coach Gary Kubiak could not say if Johnson would play at Cincinnati this weekend. Kubiak said the rookie punter was out for the season after tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament late in Sunday’s 17-10 win over Atlanta.
VICK BACK AT PRACTICE Michael Vick returned to practice after missing three games with two broken ribs and will play this weekend, when Philadelphia meets Miami.