NFL Week 16: San Diego Chargers vs Cincinnati Bengals | Bengals win 34-20

Sunday Football Week 16 – Watch San Diego Chargers vs Cincinnati Bengals Live on CBS

Week 16 – San Diego Chargers vs Cincinnati Bengals
When: Sunday, 4:05 PM ET, December 26, 2010
Venue: Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, OH

Chargers (8-6) vs Bengals (3-11) Preview

At this time last season, the San Diego Chargers had already clinched their fourth straight AFC West title. The Chargers will close the regular season with a two-game road trip beginning Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Unlike previous seasons, San Diego (8-6) doesn’t control its own fate in this year’s playoff race. The Chargers are one game behind Kansas City in the division and a wild-card berth is unlikely as they’re two games behind Baltimore and the New York Jets.

It’s a far different situation than going into last season’s matchup against Cincinnati. San Diego had clinched the division title in Week 14 and secured a first-round bye the following week in dramatic fashion. The Chargers squandered an 11-point lead going into the fourth quarter and escaped with a 27-24 win as Nate Kaeding kicked a 52-yard field goal with three seconds left.

The Bengals (3-11), who will miss the playoffs after winning the AFC North last year, snapped a 10-game losing streak with a 19-17 win over Cleveland last Sunday.

The Bengals have lost their last two games against the Chargers and the last three meetings in Cincinnati, including a 49-41 decision in 2006 when Ochocinco caught 11 passes for 260 yards. (Source preview: ESPN)

You can watch Sunday Football Week 16 Game San Diego Chargers vs Cincinnati Bengals Live on CBS.

UPDATE: Bengals beat the Chargers, 34-20. Cincinnati spoiled San Diego’s run for AFC West. AFC West handed to Kansas City Chiefs.

1 2 3 4 Total San Diego 0 3 7 10 20 FINAL Cincinnati 7 6 0 21 34

GAME RECAP

Carson Palmer threw four touchdown passes during a near-perfect performance in the swirling snow, and the Cincinnati Bengals beat San Diego 34-20 on Sunday, ending the Chargers’ run of four straight AFC West titles.

The Chargers (8-7) froze up in their coldest game in nearly three years, repeatedly self-destructing on a raw, windy evening. The loss gave the division title to Kansas City, which beat Tennessee 34-14 earlier in the day.

It was only San Diego’s second loss in its last 22 games in December.

Palmer, a Southern California kid, led the Bengals (4-11) to their second straight win with a cast of reserve receivers. Two of his touchdown passes went to Jerome Simpson, including a 59-yarder in the fourth quarter. Palmer finished with a career-best passer rating of 157.2 — perfect would be 158.3. (Source)