SAN DIEGO _ For the second straight Sunday, the Chargers jumped out to a big early lead. And, for the second straight Sunday, they lost a crucial player while doing so.
The difference this time was there was no collapse. Unlike last week's season opener at Kansas City, when the Chargers blew a 27-10 lead in the final quarter, the Chargers kept the pressure on Jacksonville and rolled to a 38-14 victory before 52,165, the smallest crowd to watch the Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium since 2004.
The downside for the Chargers, though, was that Danny Woodhead appeared to suffer a serious injury to his right knee during the first quarter, just as wide receiver Keenan Allen did last week. Woodhead was carried off the field and then taken on a cart to the locker room.
Woodhead and Allen ranked 1-2 on the Chargers in receiving last season. The team's fourth-leading receiver in 2015, Stevie Johnson, suffered a season-ending injury in training camp.
It wasn't a problem against the hapless Jaguars, however. Philip Rivers tied a career high with four touchdown passes, two to newcomer Travis Benjamin; Melvin Gordon produced the first 100-yard rushing game of his career, and the defense had three takeaways, all in the first half.
The Chargers dominated Sunday's game from start to finish, leading 7-0 after the first quarter, 14-0 after the first play of the second quarter, 21-0 at halftime and 28-0 barely four minutes into the second half.
A 21-yard run by Gordon and a 23-yard run by Woodhead set up the Chargers' first TD, which came on the opening drive of the game. Gordon got the touchdown, his first at Qualcomm Stadium, on a 3-yard run.
An interception by Casey Hayward, one of three Chargers takeaways in the first half, set up the Chargers at the Jaguars 34. They faced two third downs, but Rivers converted with passes to Antonio Gates and Tyrell Williams, the latter as the first period ended. Rivers and Benjamin connected on a 6-yard pass to make it 14-0 on the opening play of the second quarter.
The Chargers made it 21-0 before halftime following a 43-yard pass from Rivers to Benjamin. The TD came on a 2-yard pass from Rivers to Gates _ the 105th TD of the latter's career.
Any hints of another second-half meltdown were alleviated quickly. The Chargers forced a punt to begin the second half, and Rivers needed just three plays to cover 55 yards. The final 44 came on a third-down pass to Williams, who covered the final 40 yards to the end zone to make it 28-0.
Rivers' fourth touchdown pass came later in the third quarter, a 45-yarder to Benjamin, who beat Davon House in single coverage.
Jacksonville finally got on the scoreboard early in the fourth quarter on a TD pass from Blake Bortles to Marcedes Lewis.
