San Diego Chargers: Winners and Losers from Bolts' Loss vs. Jets

The Chargers' three-game winning streak came to an end on Sunday as San Diego (4-2) fell 27-21 to the New York Jets (4-3) at Metlife Stadium Sunday.

As is the case in any NFL game, there are individuals who played well and others who disappointed.

Here's a review of the winners and losers from the Bolts' perspective as they look forward to a Monday night encounter with the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8.

Winner: TE Antonio Gates

Antonio Gates' second quarter touchdown reception was his first score of the 2011 season. 

The perennial tight end pro-bowler had missed nearly four full games because of a nagging foot injury.

Although Gates doesn't appear to be completely healthy, he was a big contributor in Week 7 and will play a vital role in this offense throughout the remainder of the year.

Loser: RB Ryan Mathews

Ryan Mathews had a career-high 132 total yards in a Week 5 victory against the Denver Broncos. He did not match that production against the Jets.

His numbers were halved on Sunday (39 rushing yards, 26 receiving yards) in large part because of a second quarter thumb injury that briefly kept him off the field and limited him the rest of the afternoon.

Mathews did not accumulate double-digit yardage on any of his 17 touches.

Winner: RB Mike Tolbert

Mike Tolbert seized the opportunity with Mathews impaired, as he set a season-high with 58 rushing yards.

Furthermore, Tolbert's 29-yard run ignited an 87-yard touchdown drive that increased San Diego's lead to 21-10 before halftime. It was his biggest gain of the season.

Loser: QB Philip Rivers

Philip Rivers' 2011 slump continued against New York's swarming defense. He threw multiple interceptions for the fourth time in six games and his connection with Gates from the Jets' 2-yard-line was his only passing touchdown.

Although Rivers has struggled with his TD-INT ratio, and yards per attempt this season, his completion percentage entering this matchup was a stellar 67.2 percent. That took a hit on Sunday as he landed just 16 of 32 passes.

Both of Rivers' picks were thrown in the fourth quarter (one each to Darrelle Revis and Kyle Wilson), and they led to 10 points for Rex Ryan's bunch.

His 82.3 quarterback rating this season is surprisingly near the middle of the pack after three consecutive years in the top five.

Winner: FS Eric Weddle

Weddle now has a career-high three interceptions this season.

He slipped between Jets' quarterback Mark Sanchez and wideout Plaxico Burress in the final minutes of the first quarter for an interception. His ensuing 25-yard return was followed by San Diego's first offensive touchdown drive.

Weddle's great play in the secondary was the principal reason that Sanchez completed only one of his 33 pass attempts for more than 20 yards.

Loser: CB Antoine Cason

Cornerback Antoine Cason was paired with New York's Plaxico Burress for most of the game. He surrendered only four receptions, but the three he allowed in the red zone proved costly.

Cason failed to get in front of Burress when he needed to, and Burress made him pay to the tune of three touchdown catches.

Two of the three scores were thrown on third-and-goal plays. Had Cason been able to defend those passes and held the Jets to field goals, the Chargers may have came away with their fifth win of 2011.

Winner: LB Donald Butler

Donald Butler made the most outstanding play of the day.

He ran down Jets' tight end Dustin Keller after a short reception and stripped the ball from his hands. Butler's momentum was taking him towards the sideline, but he turned his feet downfield just in time and subsequently went untouched during the 37-yard return touchdown.

The turnover irritated the home crowd and put San Diego on the board with more than 13 minutes left in the opening quarter.

Also, Butler led the Chargers with nine total tackles.

Loser: WR Vincent Jackson

Vincet Jackson was predictably held captive on "Revis Island" on Sunday.

The NFL's top cornerback, Darrelle Revis, was physical as usual and allowed Jackson just one reception.

In the fourth quarter, with San Diego leading 21-17 and driving deep into Jets' territory, Philip Rivers rocketed a pass that tipped right off Jackson's hands. Revis secured the airborne ball and irreversibly put the Jets in control.

This was the first time since November 28, 2010—in a game against the Indianapolis Colts—that Jackson failed to finish with multiple catches in a start.

He is still the team's leading receiver this season.

Winner: LB Shaun Phillips

Shaun Phillips was the only Charger to consistently put pressure on Mark Sanchez.

He recorded two sacks against one of the league's elite offensive lines.

One came in the third quarter when New York was near midfield and about to shrink the 11-point deficit. The Jets then punted the ball away a few plays later because of Phillips.

The second tackle for loss came inside the two-minute warning. Sanchez and company were three yards outside the end zone, a short gain away from crushing the Chargers' hopes.

Phillips forced them to settle for a field goal, which at least gave San Diego a chance to orchestrate a game-winning drive.

Loser: Rest of San Diego's Front Seven

Although Butler and Phillips performed well against New York's passing attack, it seemed that none of the Chargers' run-stoppers showed up for this matchup.

Amid a poor season, third-year Jets back Shonn Greene rushed for 112 yards on 20 carries.

Also, the Denver Broncos' Willis McGahee surpassed the 100-yard mark against San Diego in Week 5.

The Jets picked up 10 of their 25 first downs on the ground despite entering Week 7 with the NFL's least effective running game.

Winner: P Mike Scifres

Punter Mike Scifres had his greatest game of the season.

The Jets managed a mere 14 return yards on his four punts. They did not begin a drive on San Diego's half of the field until the Chargers' offense faltered in the fourth quarter with those two interceptions.

Punting is often undervalued by fans and analysts, but can be incredibly significant for its affect on field position.

Sadly, the Chargers wasted Scifres' strong effort.

Loser: Head Coach Norv Turner

Turner infamously coached San Diego to sluggish starts in his first four seasons with the organization. The cycle was broken in 2011 when the Chargers went 4-1 before their Week 6 bye.

However, much of the endearment fans may have developed for Turner in the first month and half is now lost because of this defeat.

Discipline is usually a reliable reflection on the coaching staff and on Sunday and San Diego committed 13 penalties.

Violations were not nearly that ubiquitous during the team's first five games. Perhaps Turner didn't handle the bye week correctly?

In all, the Chargers should have been more prepared for this game.

Expect the players to regain their focus with three divisional battles coming in the next five weeks.