San Diego Chargers Daily Links: September 16, 2013

King Dunlap reigns over ex-team - Michael Gehlken (paywall)
The Chargers left tackle had a memorable return to his old NFL home, learning on his 28th birthday Saturday he'd serve as one of the game captains. He followed the honor with a strong performance against the Eagles, including a monster block on wide receiver Eddie Royal's 15-yard screen pass that gave San Diego a 30-27 lead with 3:11 remaining in the game.

Why Are Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake Picking On Manti Te’o? - Brady Phelps
I’ll watch anything with Justin Timberlake. I love him as much as I hate Manti Te’o fake girlfriend jokes. So I’ve come to a fork in the road with this one. As much as we’re over it here in San Diego… nationally, people still think Lennay Kekua jokes are clever and funny. They’re not.

Philip Rivers Lights It Up in Win - Ricky Henne
"He deserves a lot of credit for buying in from the very first day we all came on board together," said Head Coach Mike McCoy. "We know there’s change. We’re going to change the system. From day one he’s bought into what we are doing. He wanted to learn. It reenergized him I think a little bit. He’s had a lot of success up to this point and time, but he really bought in, and that was the key. We’ve been (saying) since the day we got here he’s going to have a great year. These are the type of games you expect great players to have. It’s not a shock at all to watch what he just did out there."

Time of Possession, 3rd Downs Key Win- Nick Toney
"A great win for the organization," said Head Coach Mike McCoy. "Coming on the road we knew we had a tough test. The coaches put in a great game plan for how we wanted to execute offense, defense and special teams…It was about believing in the plan and when the game was on the line that someone would make a play. There were a number of guys who did that all game long."

Defense Comes up Big in the End - Ricky Henne
The defense held strong, limiting the Eagles to a field goal to tie the game rather than take the lead. That important stop set the stage for a dramatic drive and game-winning field goal by Nick Novak. While many will focus on the offense marching down the field, and rightfully so, it can’t be overstated how important that stop was for the San Diego Chargers.

Rapid Reaction: Chargers 33, Eagles 30 - Ashley Fox
Rivers was exceptional early. He completed his first 10 passes of the game and 16-of-18 in the first half (for 216 yards and a touchdown). Rivers’ first-half passer rating was 135.2. Rivers had a ton of time in the pocket and consistently took advantage of a weak secondary.