Chargers edge Eagles on late field goal

PHILADELPHIA - Who knew?

The Eagles evidently didn't win the Super Bowl after Week 1.

A perfect storm formed over the nation's capital last Monday or to be factually accurate southern Maryland as football's most innovative offensive mind made his NFL debut against a coach who would be more comfortable piloting the Jurassic Park football team.

San Diego Chargers rookie mentor Mike McCoy doesn't have the kind of talent Mike Shanahan does in D.C. but he is at least receptive to new ideas and he had his team ready for Chip Kelly's basketball on turf mentality.

The Philadelphia team we all expected to see showed up at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday as the lightly-regarded Chargers came across the country to edge the Eagles 33-30 on Nick Novak's 46-yard field goal with seven seconds remaining.

The Eagles offense remained dynamic but left a number of plays on the field while the defense, especially the pass defense,  struggled mightily against Philip Rivers and his favorite target, veteran tight end Antonio Gates.

Rivers was 4-of-5 for 48 yards on the Chargers' final drive before Novak booted the go-ahead field goal to lift San Diego in a back-and-forth thriller.

Rivers, who threw for 419 yards on 36-of-47 passing, got the ball back after Alex Henery kicked a game-tying field goal. He hit Gates for gains of 15 and 21 yards on the first two plays of the march..

Danny Woodhead hauled in a critical six-yard reception to move the sticks on a 3rd-and-4 at the Philadelphia 37-yard line. Novak then split the uprights four plays later.


-BIRD SEED:

*Vinny Curry is a talented football player but he's not a fit for an attacking 3-4 defense and was again inactive for the Eagles as the team's continues to dress Clifton Geathers and rookie Damion Square, players who handle the 5-technique better, at least according to the Philadelphia coaching staff.

*Other inactives for the Eagles were the injured Bradley Fletcher (concussion) and OT Dennis Kelly (back), CB Shaun Prater, OL Matt Tobin, QB Matt Barkley and H-back Emil Igwenagu were the healthy players that sat. Slot corner Brandon Boykin started in Fletcher's place and moved inside in the nickel while rookie Jordan Poyer handles Fletcher's duties outside the numbers.

*The Chargers biggest absence was rookie ILB Manti Te'o, who continues to sit with a foot injury suffered during the first week of the preseason. Bront Bird, an assignment sound but limited player, replaced Te'o in the starting lineup.

*Other inactives for the Chargers were third-string QB Brad Sorensen, WR Seyi Airotutu, SS Brandon Taylor, LB Terrell manning, OG Johnnie Troutman and DE Drake Nevis.