CARSON, Calif. _ There are few indignities in sports that would've matched this.
A second straight loss to the winless Cleveland Browns in two-straight years would be worse than all the airballs, all the groundballs that roll through the wickets, all the missed empty-netters and all botched penalty kicks. Combined.
But thanks to more mastery from Keenan Allen, who made history, and a defense that forced a timely turnover, the Chargers avoided embarrassment in a 19-10 victory at StubHub Center.
And while the win over the Browns was likely _ the Chargers spent most of the week as almost two-touchdown favorites _ it gave them an unthinkable distinction.
Thanks to the Kansas City Chiefs' loss to the New York Jets earlier on Sunday, the victory put the Chargers in a tie for first place in the AFC West.
Allen caught 10 passes for 105 yards and a touchdown making him the first player in NFL history to have three straight weeks with at least 10 catches, 100 yards and a score.
In his last three games, Allen has 436 yards receiving, with Sunday's performance putting him over 1,000 on the season for the second time in his career.
Philip Rivers' touchdown pass to Allen in the third quarter _ the result of an incredible cut near the line of scrimmage _ was the only Chargers' touchdown on the day.
Kicker Travis Coons made four of his five field-goal attempts salvaging some trips deep in Browns territory.
The field goals _ instead of touchdowns _ kept Cleveland in the game in the fourth quarter, but both of the Browns' final two drives ended with turnovers _ a fumble forced by Joey Bosa and recovered by Denzel Perryman and an interception by Adrian Phillips.
