How Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates carved up the Seahawks

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Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates had a field day against a fantastic Seattle Seahawks defense in Week 2, connecting seven times for 96 yards and three scores in a 30-21 upset win. Here's how they made it happen.

By Brian Galliford Sep 19, 2014, 12:03pm EDT

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(1 of 2) This was the route combination San Diego called, run against a single-high safety look. The combination of the called coverage and the five-man pressure made Antonio Gates' route an ideal winner on this play.
(2 of 2) Philip Rivers holds the deep safety in the middle of the field with his eyes, while Gates beats his single coverage and gets over the top of both defenders underneath. This is an easy pitch-and-catch for Rivers and Gates; they've been doing it for years.
(1 of 2) Standard NFL coverage practice against an unbalanced formation like this: play zone to the short side of the field, and man to the wide side. Buffalo will play this coverage against the Chargers, as well.
(2 of 2) San Diego's spacing on the short side of the field works to perfection. An in-breaking Danny Woodhead commands the attention of two underneath defenders, leaving Gates one-on-one with Kam Chancellor deep. Chancellor is great, but Gates can box out the best of them in these situations.
(1 of 2) Later in the same half, the Chargers are running the same play against the same coverage, but they have Rivers under considerable pressure, and Gates is being held (illegally) just shy of the goal line.
(2 of 2) Rivers and Gates have been playing together for a long time. Rivers re-gathers the football, sidesteps the rush, and throws the ball to a spot (yellow circle) where only his guy can get it. They really do make it look easy.
(1 of 2) Same concept again, just near midfield: unbalanced formation with Gates and a running back to the short side. This was how San Diego so frequently freed up Gates against a great defense and secondary.
(2 of 2) Seattle has pretty tight coverage on the man (wide) side of the field, as they typically do, but the short-side guys - circled in yellow - are running free again. Rivers finds Gates on time once again for first down yardage.
(1 of 3) Yet again, the Chargers are running their unbalanced formation. This time, Woodhead is heading to the flat and Gates up the seam. They're aided on this play by Seattle's free safety, Earl Thomas, buzzing down into the intermediate area of the field, leaving Chancellor single high.
(2 of 3) Seattle pressures Rivers again - they did it an awful lot, even in defeat - but Rivers coolly steps up into the pocket, his eyes still downfield. He sees Thomas underneath and knows that he'll be able to fit a ball between the trail defender and the safety to Gates after the break.
(3 of 3) Gates being Gates, bringing in a one-handed grab for a score. Seriously: do not underestimate the Rivers-Gates connection. They've been great for a long, long time.