National Football League
Chicago 22, San Diego 19
When: 8:30 PM ET, Monday, November 9, 2015
Where: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
Temperature: 63°
Head Official: Craig Wrolstad
Attendance: 68033

SAN DIEGO -- The Chicago Bears almost waited until it was too late.

"You have to play your best in the fourth quarter, and that's what coach (John) Fox has talked about," Bears quarterback Jay Cutler said. "It's good that it happened today, but we have to continue it."

Trailing by nine points after three quarters, Chicago rallied to beat the San Diego Chargers 22-19 Monday night.

The Bears (3-5) handed San Diego (2-7) a fifth consecutive loss.

The Chargers' skid is their longest since they dropped six in a row in 2011.

Cutler hit tight end Zach Miller for a game-deciding, 25-yard touchdown with 3:19 remaining. Running back Jeremy Langford rushed over for the two-point conversion and a 22-19 advantage, the Bears' first lead of the night.

Miller's one-handed catch over the middle helped the Bears snap a two-game losing streak.

"Jay made a great throw, and I was able to go up and get it," Miller said. "After that, I went unconscious. It was one of those things where instincts kind of take over. I really didn't have time to go up with two (hands) because he put some juice on it. I went with one and thankfully pulled it down."

Culter completed 27 of 40 passes for 345 yards and two touchdowns. He also lost a fumble and was intercepted once. Bears receiver Alshon Jeffery caught 10 passes for 151 yards, but it was the pass to Miller that was the difference.

"The safety flew over the top, and it was just a matter of waiting for Zach to get past the linebacker," Cutler said. "I left it high on him, and he made a heck of a catch. It couldn't have happened to a better guy. For him to come up with a catch, it was something special."

Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers was 26-for-42 passes for 280 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. It was the first time he didn't throw for at least 300 yards in six games.

San Diego running back Danny Woodhead produced 111 total yards and a touchdown.

Kicker Josh Lambo's second field goal, this one from 22 yards, increased the Chargers' lead to 19-14 with eight minutes to play. Before Lambo's kick, San Diego had a touchdown pass from Rivers to tight end Antonio Gates wiped away when right guard D.J. Fluker was flagged for being downfield.

Prior to Fluker being penalized, wide receiver Stevie Johnson was called for delay of game after spiking the football when he didn't reach the end zone on an 8-yard reception to the Chicago 4.

"I didn't really spike it that hard, but they called it, and that is part of it," Johnson said. "I've got to be smarter than that."

Chargers coach Mike McCoy, who owns a 20-21 record in his two-plus seasons, agreed.

"We made critical mistakes -- two penalties and take points off the board," he said.

The Bears pulled within 16-14 with 14 minutes remaining on Langford's 1-yard touchdown run. It capped a 93-yard, 15-play drive in which Chicago converted four third downs, the final one on the rookie Langford's score.

Lambo's 31-yard field goal in the half's waning seconds pushed the Chargers' advantage to 16-7.

The Bears sliced their deficit to 13-7 when Cutler clicked with tight end Martellus Bennett on a 1-yard pass midway through the second quarter.

Earlier in the second, Chicago cornerback Tracy Porter stripped wide receiver Dontrelle Inman of the ball, and it was recovered by linebacker Christian Jones, with the Bears taking over at the San Diego 41-yard line.

Two plays later, though, cornerback Jason Verrett went 68 yards for a pick-six and a 13-0 Chargers advantage. Lambo missed the point after. It was Verrett's first touchdown and second interception of his career off Cutler's second turnover of the first half.

The Bears appeared poised to score late in the first quarter, when they advanced to the Chargers' 10-yard line. However, Chicago retreated 5 yards on an offside penalty, and then linebacker Melvin Ingram sacked Cutler and forced a fumble, which was recovered by safety Eric Weddle. The Chargers weren't able to convert the turnover into points.

The Chargers struck first after Chicago kicker Robbie Gould was wide left on a 47-yard field goal attempt to end the game's first possession. Gould also missed from 34 yards in the third quarter.

Rivers found Woodhead for a 14-yard scoring pass and a 7-0 lead. Woodhead ran a wheel route from the left side of the formation and was wide open for the score as the Bears bungled their zone coverage.

Rivers admitted that taking a losing streak into the team's bye is no fun.

"When you lose five in a row, it's pretty sickening," he said. "When it's like this, you kind of want to dig a hole and hide for a little while."

NOTES: Chargers WR Malcom Floyd (shoulder) exited the game in the second quarter and didn't return. ... Chargers ILB Manti Te'o (ankle) missed his fourth consecutive game. ... San Diego LT King Dunlap (ankle) was out for a second consecutive contest. ... Chargers DT Corey Liuget (foot) wasn't able to play after getting hurt last week. ... San Diego OL Chris Watt (shoulder) was placed on injured reserve. ... Bears rookie RB Jeremy Langford saw more time with Matt Forte (knee) out. ... Chicago WR Eddie Royal (ankle) was inactive. He is a former Charger. ... Bears coach John Fox, who played at San Diego State, was on Bobby Ross' first Chargers coaching staff in 1992.
Top Game Performances
Rushing
Chicago   San Diego
Jeremy Langford Player Danny Woodhead
18 Attempts 6
72 Yards 33
4.0 Avg Yards 5.5
1 Touchdowns 0
16 Long 15
Receiving
Chicago   San Diego
Alshon Jeffery Player Danny Woodhead
10 Receptions 6
151 Yards 78
15.1 Avg Yards 13.0
0 Touchdowns 1
47 Long 16
Team Stats Summary
 
  Yards Scoring Defense
Team Tot Rus Pas TD FG INT Sck FF
Chicago 446 109 337 3 0 0 2.0 1
San Diego 339 77 262 2 2 1 1.0 1
Upcoming Games
  • San Diego will play their next game at home against Kansas City. The Chargers have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .286 after a loss.
  • Chicago will play their next game on the road against St. Louis. The Bears have a W/L % of .333 after a win and .400 after a loss.