Chargers vs. 49ers: Score and Twitter Reaction from 2014 Regular Season

On the strength of a furious second-half comeback, the San Diego Chargers wrested victory from the jaws of defeat on Saturday, beating the San Francisco 49ers in overtime, 38-35, in Levi's Stadium.

Although the 49ers were mathematically eliminated from the playoffs entering Week 16, they still could've taken satisfaction in putting the Chargers' hopes on life support with a win. Instead, San Francisco collapsed in the second half, allowing San Diego to remain in the hunt.

The Niners owned a 21-point lead at halftime and dominated much of the game. However, San Diego slowly worked its way back, closing the gap to seven points, 28-21, in the third quarter before quickly giving up another TD.

A 21-yard touchdown pass from Philip Rivers to Antonio Gates made things interesting in the final five minutes of the game, with San Diego getting to within a score, 35-28.

A 57-yard return on the ensuing kickoff by Perrish Cox gave the 49ers good field position to potentially nail a field goal and put the game out of reach for good. The San Diego defense held strong, though, forcing a three-and-out.

That gave the Chargers the ball with three minutes and 30 seconds to score the game-tying touchdown. They converted on two fourth downs before Rivers found Malcom Floyd for the touchdown with 29 seconds remaining.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen spoke for viewers across the East Coast who remained glued to their televisions:

Phil Dawson's attempted 60-yard field goal to win as time expired was well off the mark, sending the game into overtime.

San Francisco won possession to start the extra period, but before the offense could even get going, wide receiver Quinton Patton fumbled on an end-around. San Diego defensive tackle Sean Lissemore recovered at the Chargers' 38-yard line.

The Bolts used a heavy dose of Ronnie Brown to eventually get the ball into the range of kicker Nick Novak. He split the uprights with a 40-yard field goal to win the game.

Rivers was a bit up and down, throwing three interceptions, but his play down the stretch propelled San Diego forward. He finished with 356 yards through the air and four touchdowns. After the game, he mentioned his team is approaching its final two games with a playoff mentality, per NFL on ESPN:

The loss will turn an historic day for San Francisco on the ground into an afterthought. The 49ers ran for 355 yards, the most in team history:

According to ESPN Stats & Info, they're the first team in two years to get more than 300 rushing yards in defeat:

Frank Gore accounted for 158 of those 355 yards, while Colin Kaepernick went for 151 while throwing for another 114 yards.

This was truly a game of two halves, as San Francisco couldn't have started the game any better and finished it more poorly.

The 49ers wasted no time getting on the board. Less than two minutes into the game, Gore exploded for a 52-yard touchdown run in which he broke two tackles and stiff-armed another defender before hitting paydirt. The NFL posted a highlight of the incredible run:

According to Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune, it was the longest TD run against the Chargers in nearly four years:

San Francisco nearly doubled its lead toward the end of the first quarter, with Kaepernick finding a wide-open Anquan Boldin in the end zone from 21 yards out. However, a holding call on left tackle Joe Staley wiped the score off the board.

The penalty merely delayed the inevitable, as Kaepernick and wideout Bruce Ellington hooked up for an eight-yard touchdown pass 13:36 from halftime. When Ellington hit the sidelines, he received a hug from fellow wide receiver Michael Crabtree, who was limited all night, per Can Inman of the Bay Area News Group:

San Francisco safety Antoine Bethea piled more misery on San Diego a little over three minutes later, intercepting a pass from Rivers and returning it 49 yards for the touchdown, giving the 49ers a 21-0 first-half lead.

According to the team, it was Bethea's first career TD:

Around The NFL felt that play further justified why the 30-year-old is among the league's best defensive backs:

The Chargers chipped away at the deficit with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Rivers to Eddie Royal with 5:09 left until halftime. Michael Gehlken of The San Diego Union-Tribune pointed out that Royal had a pretty good Saturday night:

But with only 11 seconds remaining in the first half, Ellington restored San Francisco's 21-point advantage, scoring on a one-yard run. San Diego linebacker Melvin Ingram nearly stopped the play well behind the line of scrimmage before Ellington scurried out and headed for six (via NFL Now):

"

Melvin Ingram was THIS close to making the stop... But Bruce Ellington had "TD" on his mind: http://t.co/fdixhbN887 pic.twitter.com/pg2WXJEJZq

— NFL Now (@NFLNow) December 21, 2014"

Although he accounted for just the one touchdown, Gore was perhaps the biggest reason the 49ers owned a 28-7 lead. Against a defense surrendering just 108.6 yards a game on the ground, he had 129 yards by halftime.

While the Chargers were on the ropes to start the third quarter, San Francisco couldn't deliver the knockout blow. San Diego's defense also improved, corralling Gore and forcing Kaepernick to beat the secondary through the air.

As the 49ers offense stagnated, the Chargers capitalized.

Gates caught a one-yard touchdown pass to make it a two-score game, 28-14, with 5:49 left in the third quarter. It was his 11th TD catch of 2014, which is the second-highest total of his career:

According to the Chargers, Gates also ranks first in touchdown receptions in the last 12 years:

The momentum looked to have swung completely in San Diego's favor on the 49ers' next drive.

For the second time in the game, a San Francisco penalty took a touchdown off the board. Kaepernick found Vernon Davis, and the two-time Pro Bowler barreled over Jahleel Addae and into the end zone.

Unfortunately, Davis' effort was all for naught, and his best highlight of the campaign was completely nullified:

On the very next play, Chargers linebacker Dwight Freeney and defensive end Ricardo Mathews combined to sack Kaepernick, with Mathews hitting Kaepernick's arm and forcing a fumble. The ball eventually rolled into the end zone, and San Diego defensive end Corey Liuget recovered for the touchdown.

ESPN's Kevin Seifert noted how Freeney had a major role on those two massive plays:

Just like that, the 49ers' lead had shrunk to a single score. The Chargers were one stop away from potentially tying the game.

However, on the second play of San Francisco's next drive, Kaepernick found an opening and reeled off a 90-yard touchdown run to make it a 35-21 game. The officials threw a flag on the play, which led many to think the 49ers would lose yet another score. When Jeff Triplette announced the penalty was for illegal contact on the defense, Levi's Stadium erupted.

It was the second-longest TD run for a QB in NFL history:

That touchdown looked to have put the 49ers free and clear. They closed out the third quarter with a 14-point lead and stymied the Chargers offense for much of the fourth quarter.

But San Francisco fans' worst fears came to fruition as the 49ers tripped over their own feet at the finish line. Credit San Diego for continuing to fight and overcoming a massive deficit to prevail.

The Chargers still need some help to get into the playoffs even after the win. The Baltimore Ravens or Pittsburgh Steelers will have to slip up in the next two weeks in order for San Diego to have a chance.

As noted earlier, the 49ers are already out of the postseason chase, but they could once again play spoiler in their final game, depending on the outcome of the Arizona Cardinals-Seattle Seahawks matchup on Sunday. San Francisco could potentially prevent the Cardinals from winning the division and/or securing home-field advantage.