49ers at San Diego Chargers

Philip Rivers threw three touchdown passes and the San Diego Chargers blew out the 49ers 34-7 at Candlestick Park on Thursday Night Football. Rivers finished 19-of-25 for 273 yards. Antonio Gates caught a touchdown. Brian Westbrook scored the 49ers' only touchdown. Alex Smith threw for 165 yards and an interception. The 49ers managed 11 first downs. The defense surrendered 273 passing yards on 25 attempts. The 49ers fell to 5-9.[1][2][3]

Philip Rivers went 19-of-25 for 273 yards Thursday night at Candlestick. The San Diego Chargers blew out the 49ers 34-7 in the kind of short-week home loss where the previous Sunday's 40-21 statement against Seattle evaporated into the kind of complete-team mismatch the 49ers had been losing all year.

Alex Smith threw an interception. Brian Westbrook scored the lone 49ers touchdown on a 7-yard run in the fourth quarter. Vernon Davis caught two for 19. Michael Crabtree caught four for 27. The defense produced no sacks of Rivers and surrendered 273 yards on 25 attempts. The Chargers ran for 144 as a team. Antonio Gates and Vincent Jackson combined for 130 receiving yards.

5-9. The kind of Thursday-night home loss that effectively ends the NFC West conversation. The Rams remain at 7-6, the Seahawks at 6-7, and the 49ers now need to win out and have St. Louis lose every remaining game. The St. Louis Rams come up next Sunday on the road in the kind of division game where the kind of football the team played against San Diego will end Singletary's tenure.

Chargers 34, 49ers 7. Margin: -27. Fourteen-game record: 5-9, -64 differential.

* Philip Rivers: 19-of-25 for 273, 3 TDs, 0 INTs.
* Antonio Gates: receiving TD.
* Vincent Jackson: receiving production.
* Alex Smith: 19-of-29 for 165, 0 TD, 1 INT, 66.0 rating.
* Brian Westbrook: 8 carries for 22, 1 TD (7y in 4Q).
* Ryan Mathews: 17 carries for 56.
* 49ers D: 0 sacks; 273 surrendered passing.
* 49ers 5-9; Chargers 8-6.

A 34-7 Thursday Night Football home blowout by the San Diego Chargers at Candlestick. The 49ers fall to 5-9.

How it unfolded

The Chargers scored on their opening drive with a Rivers touchdown to take a 7-0 lead. The 49ers managed two field goals but Joe Nedney missed one of them and could only get six points. San Diego added a Rivers second-quarter touchdown to make it 14-0. The second quarter was a Vincent Jackson touchdown reception to push it to 21-0 before halftime. The third quarter was Rivers's third touchdown to push the lead to 28-0. The Chargers added a Nate Kaeding field goal in the fourth quarter to make it 31-0. Brian Westbrook ran in a 7-yard touchdown to break the shutout. A late Chargers field goal made it 34-7 final.

The turning point

The Chargers' opening-drive touchdown. Three-day turnaround home games are won and lost on the opening drive. The 49ers' defense, on the field for what should have been a short-week motivated stand, surrendered seven points in under five minutes and never got the game close.

By the numbers

Smith 165 passing on 29 attempts with no TD and an INT. Josh Morgan 7 catches for 106. Westbrook 22 rushing on 8 carries with the late TD. Davis 2 catches for 19. Rivers 273 on 25 attempts with three TDs. Antonio Gates the TD. Vincent Jackson 60 receiving. Ryan Mathews 56 rushing.

Personnel watch

The 49ers' defense, after forcing six turnovers against Seattle, generating zero against Rivers. Brian Westbrook still the lead back. Vernon Davis a non-factor. Josh Morgan the most productive receiver. The kind of short-week home game where the team looked nothing like the previous Sunday's blowout team.

What it means

5-9 with the road game at St. Louis Sunday. The kind of Thursday-night home loss that ends the NFC West conversation in any reasonable sense and starts the kind of Singletary-job-security conversation that runs through the final two weeks. The Rams at 7-6 lead the division and the Seahawks 6-7 trail.