Charger Shaun Phillips celebrates

with the fans after a 27-24 win.

Chargers.com

“It was loud,” says Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers, referring to the fan noise on Sunday at Qualcomm Stadium during the team’s thrilling 27-24 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. “The fans were unreal. We definitely had a home field advantage out there.”

With high stakes, the stage was set for an emotional match-up between the San Diego Chargers (11-3) and the Cincinnati Bengals (9-5). The winner could pave the road to securing the number-two playoff seed in the AFC, and get a first-round bye that puts the team two playoff wins away from the Super Bowl.

The game had drama coming in. Earlier in the week, Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry leaped into the back of his fiancée’s pickup truck as she was leaving the scene of what has been reported as a domestic disturbance. Henry fell from the truck and suffered fatal injuries.

Henry had been on the injured reserve list and would not have played in Sunday’s game. But his death certainly had an impact. For the Bengals, it meant critical time preparing for the game was lost dealing with the tragedy.

Cincinnati dedicated the game and the rest of the season to Henry. The Bengals honored him by hanging his jersey in the locker room prior to the game, and brought it out to the bench during the game.

Chargers defensive end Luis Castillo noted the death of Henry: “You look around this league, and we may not all know each other, and we may not all get along, but we are a football family, and when you lose one of your own, it means a lot and it hurts us all,” he says. “I give so much credit to [the Bengals], to come out here and to play a game that meant so much to their season and to our season, and for them to play as well as they did. They did an outstanding job, and now all we can do is to pray for them and their families, and the Henry family.”

Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer says the best way to honor Henry was to “make big plays.”

The Bengals did make some big plays. Chad Ochocinco gave the Bengals a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter by outrunning Antonio Cromartie for a 49-yard touchdown reception.

Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco

honors Chris Henry after a TD.

Chargers.com

Following the touchdown, the crowd waited to see what Ochocinco would do, as he is frequently fined for post-touchdown antics. The flamboyant Ochocinco just took a knee, pointed to the sky, and said a few words to pay homage to his fallen teammate. He told Bengals.com: “I was saying what we always say before practice and games: 15 and 85 = 100 ways to be great.”

The Chargers also have big playmakers, including Vincent Jackson.

Jackson caught a 21-yard touchdown from Rivers to recapture the lead at 14-10. That touchdown extended Rivers’ career-best streak of consecutive games with a touchdown pass to 11.

In the third quarter, Quentin Jammer intercepted Palmer, setting up the Chargers on the Bengals 40-yard line. Rivers then found Jackson again for a 34-yard touchdown pass, giving the Chargers a 21-10 lead.

Jackson’s reception put him over 1,000 yards, making him the first Charger since Tony Martin (1995-96) to post consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. Antonio Gates has 1,071 yards, giving the Chargers their first pair of 1,000-yard receivers since 1985 (Wes Chandler and Lionel James).

With an 11-point lead going into the fourth quarter, it looked like the Chargers would cruise to victory. But with 54 seconds left in the game, Shayne Graham tied the score at 24-24 with a 33-yard field goal.

Starting on the Chargers own 20-yard line, Rivers quickly completed passes to Darren Sproles for 11 yards, Jackson for 20 yards and Malcom Floyd for 15 yards. With eight ticks left on the clock, Nate Kaeding kicked the 52-yard, game-winning field goal.

“When I hit it, I knew it was good,” says Kaeding.

It was Kaeding’s 147th career field goal and moved him past Rolf Benirschke into second place on the team’s all-time list. It was also Kaeding’s 17th consecutive field goal – a new career high for Kaeding and the team’s third-longest streak.

Immediately after the game, the Chargers discovered the Oakland Raiders (5-9) had just taken a late lead against the Denver Broncos (8-6). “We all crowded around the TV to watch the last few seconds,” says Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson.

With the Chargers win and Denver's loss to Oakland, the Chargers clinched their fourth straight AFC West title.

Backup quarterbacks Billy Volek and Charlie Whitehurst sat together in front of their lockers discussing what scenarios are now needed for the Chargers to clinch the second seed. Perhaps the two were really trying to figure out what exactly it would take for them to get some playing time in the final weeks of the season.

That scenario is now simple. Any Chargers win or tie, or a New England Patriots (9-5) loss or tie will clinch the second seed for the Chargers.

Unfortunately for Volek and Whitehurst, neither of them will likely play this week when the Chargers take on the Tennessee Titans (7-7). That game will be on Friday and is the only NFL game on Christmas Day. The Patriots won’t play until Sunday. That will force Chargers coach Norv Turner to play his starters and make every effort to win in Tennessee.