San Diego, CA (Sports Network) – Philip Rivers threw for 62 yards and a touchdown on 4-of-6 passing in his preseason debut, as San Diego downed Chicago, 25-10, in the exhibition opener for both clubs.
Legedu Naanee hauled in a 28-yard touchdown pass for the Chargers, who finished 13-3 a year ago and won the AFC West before falling in the divisional round to the Jets.
Mike Tolbert added a rushing score while Nate Kaeding and Nick Novak combined to hit 3-of-4 field goals in the victory.
Jay Cutler made a brief start, completing both his pass attempts for 47 yards for the Bears, who went 7-9 in 2009 and missed the playoffs.
Caleb Hanie took the majority of the snaps and finished 10-of-17 for 148 yards, one touchdown and one interception for Chicago, which saw Devin Aromashodu tally four catches for 78 yards and a seven-yard TD reception in defeat.
Robbie Gould’s 38-yarder got the Bears on the board, but Naanee’s 28-yard TD catch from Rivers put San Diego on top.
Aromashodu’s catch for a score highlighted a successful Chicago drive in the second for a 10-7 Bears lead, but the Chargers piled up the remainder of the points.
Tolbert’s one-yard run gave the home team a 14-10 edge at the half, then in the third period Kaeding hit from 28 yards out and Novak was good from 43 to make it 20-10. Brandon Lang then blocked a punt out of the end zone for a safety.
Novak’s 48-yarder in the fourth capped the scoring.