CINCINNATI – Andy Dalton committed three turnovers and the Bengals playoff victory drought extended to 23 years as San Diego beat Cincinnati 27-10.
For the Chargers, it was their fifth win in a row, as they now advance to the AFC Divisional round next Sunday to take on the Denver Broncos.
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Philip Rivers was 12 of 16 for 128 yards with a touchdown, but more importantly, did not throw an intereception. San Diego won the turnover battle 4-0 and won in the playoffs for the first time in five years.
The Bengals now have the sixth-longest losing streak in the playoffs, dating back to the 1990 season. Cincinnati has now lost their playoff opener each of the last three years. Marvin Lewis fell to 0-5 in the postseason during his 11 seasons as a head coach.
This also marks the first time since 2010 that both No. 6 playoff seeds won their first playoff game. The Saints upset the Eagles 26-24 in Philadelphia on Saturday night.